Lucknow August 31, : A case of rape has been filed against Anandeshwar Pandey, general secretary of the UP Olympic Association, at Bhiwadi police station in Rajasthan.A player from handball has filed an FIR with Pandey as well as the treasurer of Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and alleging sexual assault.
Seema Sharma is a former national-level handball player of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) She has filed a complaint against Pandey who was secretary general of the Handball Federation of India (HFI) from 2013 until 2020.
The FIR was filed at the Mahila Police Station at Bhiwadi in Rajasthan on Sunday under the IPC Section of 376 (rape) 511 (attempt to commit an offense) and 506 (criminal intimidation).
In her report, Sharma claims that Pandey of seeking to raped her in the office of the UPOA in Lucknow in March of this year.The zero FIR has been handed over to Lucknow’s Hazratganj police station.
“It was a zero-fir and also has the sections of sexual assault.The matter was handed over to Lucknow on Monday,” said SHO of Mahila Police Station Bhiwadi.
Sharma who is a constable in the 4th battalion of SSB in Mohanlalganj here and also wrote an email to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on July 31, outlining the incident and requesting Modi’s intervention in the incident.
According to the complaint the complaint states that 28-year-old Sharma stated that she was with Pandey at the time of selection process for the National Women Handball Championships.
The trials took place in the K.D.Singh Babu Stadium on March 12.She claimed she got to the camp but before the selection ceremony on March 26 she was requested to visit the office of her coach.There, he was accused of molesting and misbehaving with her, as per the FIR.
Sharma said in her complaint she was unable to resist his advances, resulting in her jersey was ripped.”He was then threatening me with grave consequences and claimed he is extremely powerful and could stop my career as a player,” she said in her complaint.
“I informed my higher officials of the incident,” said Sharma, who has played for Uttar Pradesh in sub-junior, senior and junior level national championships.
Sharma said Pandey is a frequent offender and has ended the career of many players in handball, but no one dared to speak out against Pandey because he is “powerful and well-connected.”
Pandey was in the news this week after photos of Pandey in uncomfortable positions with various women were shared through social media.Pandey had claimed “political conspiracies” in the whole issue and claimed he had made an official complaint with the Lucknow Police cyber cell about the photos.
A former national-level runner Pandey began his professional career as a handballer and first played for Uttar Pradesh in the nationals in 1977-78.
He is also the chairman of the Coordination Committee for the upcoming National Games set to be held in Ahmedabad beginning on September 27.
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