PANJIM: The Mapusa Police on Saturday arrested All India Football Federation (AIFF) executive committee member Deepak Sharma for allegedly physically assaulting two women players.
Two footballers of Himachal Pradesh-based Khad FC, participating in the Indian Women’s Football (IWL) League second division at Duler stadium, Mapusa, had alleged that the Club owner Sharma, had allegedly barged into their room and physically assaulted and misbehaved with them on the night of March 28.
Following a complaint, the Mapusa police called Deepak Sharma for questioning and was arrested under relevant sections of IPC such as causing hurt, using force against women, among others.
The Mapusa police have registered a case against Sharma under sections 323, 341 and 354A of the IPC and are conducting further investigations.
When contacted, Goa Football Association (GFA) president Caetano Fernandes said, “It is a sad day for Indian football if the Federation instead of helping the women players are threatening them. The accused has been arrested by the Goa Police. We shall see what the AIFF will do.”
Meanwhile, the AIFF on Saturday asked its executive committee member Deepak Sharma to refrain from game-related activities till the conclusion of a probe by a panel into his alleged physical assault of two women footballers in Goa.
They filed a complaint with the competition committee of the AIFF and the Goa Football Association (GFA), which was hosting the tournament, also lodged a complaint at the Mapusa police station on the basis of the complaint of the two women footballers.
In the complaint, according to sources, the two players said Sharma was in an inebriated state for most of the time and they were ‘scared of their lives’.
The AIFF stopped short of suspending Sharma, who is also the secretary-general of the Himachal Pradesh Football Association, besides being the owner of the club and a member of the executive committee of the national federation.
Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur asked the AIFF to take ‘quick’ and ‘strong legal action’ against the official.
Taking a serious note of the incident, Thakur had said that the safety and security of players are of utmost priority for the sports ministry.
“The Ministry of Sports has taken a serious note of an alleged physical assault upon women footballers by an official during the ongoing Indian Women’s League in Goa,” Thakur tweeted.
