#MeToo allegations hit Indian football

TIL Desk Sports/ Entrepreneur Ranjit Bajaj, who owned I-League club Minerva Punjab FC, on Monday alleged that All India Football Federation (AIFF) General Secretary Kushal Das had molested employees at workplace, a charge outrightly rejected by the national body and its top official.

Bajaj, who sold off Minerva Punjab FC in 2020 after owning it for seven years, said there were “two cases of molestation of employees at workplace” and the head of the committee which deals with sexual harassment complaints at the AIFF was “forced by president Praful Patel to bury the report”.

“…Kushal Das RESIGN Or I will be revealing details about you which have been buried by @praful_patel #METOO #metooindia enuf is enuf,” Bajaj tweeted.”…two cases of molestation of his employees at the workplace …head of madatory (mandatory) sexual harassment complaint officer of AIFF & he was forced to bury the report by @praful_patel.”

Later, Bajaj said, “I am not making any allegations against the federation. This is against an individual and he can go to court, make an affidavit. Let him come up with a denial, he must respond in his personal capacity instead of using the AIFF PR machinery.” Das said no such complaint has reached the AIFF committee in the last 10 years.