Mumbai: The state on Friday informed Bombay high court that Kherwadi police station, Bandra East, registered an FIR against the president of a sports body on a complaint of sexual harassment by a woman athlete. The FIR followed Justices Revati Mohite Dere and Neela Gokhale’s direction on Wednesday to the police-in-charge to record her statement and “take appropriate action in accordance with the law, including registration of FIR, against Mr… and others found involved, if a cognisable offence is made out against them”. The state’s advocate, Vishal Thadani, informed that an FIR was registered on Thursday.The HC was hearing a petition by Mixed Martial Arts India to direct the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) to grant it recognition. Since the IOA granted recognition to the Mixed Martial Arts Sports Federation of India, the Asian Mixed Martial Arts Association recognised only it. In these circumstances, the petitioner’s athletes are unable to participate in the first Asian Youth Championship in Bahrain between June 25 and 28.The rival federation submitted documents, including screenshots of Instagram texts between the petitioner’s president and an athlete. “A plain reading of the messages demonstrates sexual overtures being made by Mr… to the said woman athlete,” the judges noted. They noticed a woman crying in court. Federation advocate Adil Parsurampuria said she was “the athlete concerned”.The judges said “she had a story to tell. The woman athlete informed us she was being sexually harassed and suffered great anguish at the hands of Mr… She was compelled to reply to his Instagram and WhatsApp messages, and if she refused, she was threatened she would not be permitted to participate in any sport…” The woman complained to various authorities with proof of harassment, “but her every attempt was thwarted, and she was left to run from pillar to post for redressal of her grievance”. The judges were “shocked” to hear her statements, adding it is “extremely unfortunate” that neither the petitioner, federation or IOA stood by the woman nor have taken steps “to provide succour to her”.The petitioner’s advocate, Abhishek Upadhyay, said the president shall “step down from his position”. “We accept the said statement as an undertaking given to this court,” the judges said. To the judge’s query, advocates Sanjeev Sawant and Heramb Kadam informed that IOA has a POSH (Prevention of Sexual Harassment) committee in place, and if a complaint is received, it would take action. Parsurampuria said in national interest, the federation shall select 5 athletes of the petitioner to participate in the championship. On Friday, judges refused to expunge observations against the president.
