Shocking! 8 women athletes file sexual harassment complaint against renowned coach

Mumbai, September 8: In a shocking revelation, as many as 8 women athletes complained of sexual harassment against P Nagarajan, a Chennai-based athletics coach, who have trained and mentored several female athletes including internationals.

The chain of events began to unroll when a 19-year-old girl athlete filed a sexual harassment complaint against Nagarajan in May, and subsequently 7 more athletes joined her in filing similar complaint against the coach.

As per an Indian Express report, the women have given complaint to a magistrate and Nagarajan is facing charges under IPC and POCSO Act.

According to the report, Nagarajan asked these athletes to come for personal training and then touched them inappropriately in the massage room. One athlete said she was young when the incident took place and was afraid to talk back. In fact, one more athlete tried to commit suicide but survived.

The whole episode left her so traumatised as she found it tough to form relationship when grew up and was haunted by trust deficit when it comes to older men, besides suffering nervous breakdowns.

"I broke the Under-16 national record. That is when the sexual abuse started. He used to say 'you have to stay back after practice so you can train more'. If I had knee pain, he would say 'I will relieve the pain'. He used to touch my private parts, I felt really uncomfortable. I did not tell my mother as it would affect her. The first time it happened, I was 15," the newspaper quoted an athlete, who was coached by Nagarajan for over 10 years.

"He used to tell me 'I will help you stretch', and he started to put his hands on me. He would make me sit on his lap. He told me that 'I am like a father'. At that age I did not know how to react.

"Now they are teaching children what is a 'good touch' and a 'bad touch' but at that time I never knew. I used to run away from the ground at the end of training. I was afraid to even talk back to him," she said.

The athlete said Nagarajan had also threatened her with character assassination if she tells the episode to anyone else.