Female football players accuse 'drunk' AIFF executive committee member of phyical assault, police case filed in Goa

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Goa, Mar 30: Two female football players from Khad FC, a club based in Himachal Pradesh, have levelled serious accusations against Deepak Sharma, a member of the executive committee of the All India Football Federation (AIFF).

The players alleged that Sharma assaulted them in a hotel room during the ongoing Indian Women's League 2 in Goa. The incident reportedly occurred at a Goa hotel on Thursday (March 28), with the players complaining to the AIFF the following day.

According to the footballers, Sharma became upset when he found them preparing food and proceeded to physically assault them. Sharma, who serves as the general secretary of the Himachal Pradesh Football Association and deputy chairman of the AIFF's competitions committee, is alleged to have been inebriated at the time of the incident, even drinking in their presence during their journey from Himachal Pradesh to Goa.

Palak Verma, one of the footballers involved, recounted the incident to NDTV, stating, "On that day, I was injured and had brought eggs to my room. Around 10:30-11 pm, I was in the kitchen with another girl, preparing eggs. At that moment, sir summoned us to his room.

"The other girl went first, and when asked what we were doing, she mentioned egg preparation. He rebuked her and then called me in. He rudely questioned why I was preparing eggs and insinuated if I was 'special.' He was inebriated at the time."

"I explained that we were out of food, hence preparing eggs in the room. Despite my explanation, he insisted I dispose of the eggs. I began to cry and retreated to my room, slamming the door. Upon hearing the commotion, he barged into the room without knocking and physically assaulted me. My roommate intervened, and he eventually left," she added.

"Following this, his wife, who also manages the club, Nandita, approached us, pressuring us. She criticized our conduct, claiming we lacked 'sanskaar' (moral values). We filed complaints with both the Goa Football Association (GFA) and AIFF. Investigative teams from both organisations visited.

"Sharma was directed to provide a written assurance of non-interference. I am 21 years old, and we are being pressured to retract our complaints," Palak continued, expressing her distress over the incident, stating that they have been unable to sleep or focus on their game due to the mental toll.

Jonathan D'Sousa, GFA vice-president, confirmed that upon receiving the complaint, he met with all parties involved and will forward a report to the AIFF for further action. He mentioned visiting the hotel personally and acknowledged the importance of filing a police report from the GFA's perspective. However, as non-victims, they couldn't lodge an FIR. The complaint was forwarded to the police to ensure the safety of the players.

Miss Valenka Alemao, head of the AIFF women's football committee, also met with the players privately to discuss the matter, expressing hopes for justice. Deepak Sharma has been summoned for questioning at the Mapusa police station based on the GFA's complaint, while the AIFF is yet to comment on the situation.