GFI pres trying to shield accused, says secretary Bidiwala

Breaking his silence after a fortnight of inaction against a coach and player for alleged sexual harassment of a girl gymnast, General Secretary of Gymnastic Federation of India (GFI) Kaushik Bidiwala today accused the system of shielding the suspected duo.
Bidiwala said that the disciplinary committee looks to be a sham and questioned the intentions of the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and GFI president Jaspal Singh Kandhari.
"The president did set up a committee soon after the matter was reported but as a General Secretary I have received no update on the report," Bidiwala told PTI.
"If they would have concluded the report then I would have had no hesitation in giving my judgement. I can disqualify the accused, whoever is found guilty, till the 2016 Olympics and debar the person from attending the event in Rio de Janeiro," added Bidiwala.

An international-level gymnast and a gymnastics coach, who were part of the Asian Games squad in Incheon, were booked for allegedly passing obscene comments and making vulgar gestures at a woman player on September 2 evening during a practice session at Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium.
Bidiwala, who was elected GFI General Secretary in 2011, is about to end his term in four months' time but is not willing to see injustice prevailing in that period.

"Like everybody, I am also awaiting the disciplinary report. And I have valid reasons for fearing that nothing is going to come out of it as there is no lady in the three-member committee, which is a must in a case of sexual harassment against a girl," said Bidiwala.

The girl, a trainee-level gymnast, in question did lodge a police complaint against the two senior men, who she said passed vulgar remarks about her clothes. Kandhari said that the disciplinary procedure will only happen after the police submit their investigation report.
"The girl had filed a police case and now the matter is with the police. We cannot intervene in police matters and will only conclude our report after the police submbit their's," said Kandhari.