5 sexual harassment plaints filed since 2018

New Delhi, August 3

As per the Sports Ministry, there have been only five complaints of sexual harassment filed by women complainants with their respective sports federations. This was stated in a written reply by Sports Minister Anurag Thakur in the Rajya Sabha after two MPs, including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, sought replies from the ministry over the safety of women athletes.

Kharge and Jose K Mani from Kerala Congress (M) asked for details on whether the sports federations have constituted an Internal Complaints Committee (ICC). They also asked for details of the number of vacant positions on the ICC panels of the federations. And finally, the actual number of complaints filed with the ICCs and details of the action taken on such complaints.

Thakur replied that 52 federations have constituted the ICC, adding that the ministry had also reminded all the federations — after several women wrestlers complained against the outgoing WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh — to re-examine their structures and policies as defined under the POSH Act.

Further, Thakur informed that since 2018, only five complaints were filed, which led to criminal cases in three complaints. The sixth is the complaint against Sharan Singh, in which the Delhi Police has filed a charge sheet.