Sexual harassment: CRPF suspends chief sports officer, coach after probe

CRPF suspended its chief sports officer DIG Khajan Singh and coach Inspector Surjit Singh after a preliminary probe found them guilty of sexual harassment of women personnel, official sources said

The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) on Wednesday suspended its chief sports officer DIG Khajan Singh and coach Inspector Surjit Singh after a preliminary probe found them guilty of sexual harassment of women personnel, official sources said.

They said a committee headed by CRPF Inspector General Charu Sinha, based in Srinagar, has found the charges of sexual harassment levelled against them by a 30-year-old woman constable prima facie valid.

"Deputy Inspector General Khajan Singh and Inspector Surjit Singh have been suspended following the recommendations of the preliminary probe conducted by the force," a senior officer said.

Khajan Singh, the chief sports officer of the country's largest paramilitary force, had won a silver medal at the 1986 Seoul Asian Games in the 200m butterfly event which was India's first medal in swimming at the event since the 1951 edition.

Khajan Singh had earlier denied the allegations and told PTI that these charges were "absolutely false and this was done just to spoil his image".

In a complaint filed at Baba Haridas police station in Delhi in December last year, the woman constable accused the duo of raping her and alleged that they had sexually harassed women constables as well and later used them as "their accomplices".

The woman, who joined the CRPF in 2010, was stated to have later retracted her allegations during police probe.

Sources had said in December that the woman had recorded her statement before a magistrate under CrPC section 164 where she allegedly retracted her allegations against the two CRPF sports officers.

Former CRPF Director General Anand Prakash Maheshwari, who retired in February, had told reporters during a press conference in January that all due legal processes would be followed in this case and anyone found guilty would be punished based on the recommendations of the committee.

The CRPF, an about 3.25 lakh personnel strong force, first inducted women in combat ranks in 1986 and it has six all-women battalions at present with an overall strength of about 8,000 personnel in them.

It also has women personnel in sports and other administrative wings.