Senior life member of the Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association (MPCA) leeladhar Paliwal here on Thursday lodged a complaint with Tukoganj police against former MPCA joint secretary Alpesh Shah, who had resigned on Wednesday after he faced sexual harassment allegations by a 19-year-old female cricketer.
The complaint also includes names of MPCA chairman MK Bhargav, Secretary Narendra Menon and MPCA CEO Rohit Pandit. Paliwal has requested the police to register an FIR on all these persons who are prima facie guilty in the incident.
In his complaint Paliwal besides demanding registration of an FIR against Shah for sexually molesting the young female cricketer, has also demanded registration of cases against the MPCA’s other senior officials for suppressing the sexual molestation case to bail out the main accused.
The senior MPCA member has also questioned the legality of a four-member probe committee constituted by the MPCA chairman Bhargava stating that any adhoc committee can only be constituted with due approval of the management committee of the MPCA and as such this panel has no locus-standi to probe into the matter, Paliwal said adding that it was on this premise that he has demanded a police probe into the matter. He further said the sexual molestation of the female cricketer had been reported in September this month. Since then the victim had been approaching each and every one who matters in the MPCA to seek justice but they had been dilly-dallying it purportedly for the past three months to hush up the matter and bail out the main accused, Paliwal alleged.
Tukoganj police station incharge Manoj Ratnakar, confirming to have received a complaint from the senior and life MPCA member, said that Paliwal has been asked to bring the victim or her relatives to the police station so as to enable them to lodge a formal complaint against the MPCA officials and probe into the matter.
Former MPCA secretary Alpesh Shah facing heat from all quarters offered to step down from his coveted post only yesterday when the issue hogged headlines in local media.
According to report, the victim in her letter to the MPCA president Jyotiraditya Scindia sometime back, had alleged that Shah had molested her in his chamber at the Madhavrao Scindia Block in Indore on September 23. Elaborating the incident, the victim in her letter said that Shah invited her to his cabin and when she tried to touch his feet to seek blessings, she was molested. Soon after the incident, the girl ran away from the cabin and complained to her father, who works for the MPCA. The girl's father immediately called up Bharghava to complain against Shah who threatened to ruin the girl's cricket career, the victim alleged in her letter.
According to girl's father, though Shah offered an apology the same evening incident took place, his daughter would not settle for less than a strict action against him, who has resigned from his position on Wednesday. While tendering his resignation yesterday, Shah had pledged innocence and said the incident was a case of "misunderstanding."
The MPCA, which allegedly tried to hush-up the matter initially, has now set up a four-member probe committee that includes Bharghava and former Board of Control for Cricket in India secretary Sanjay Jagdale. The committee has recorded Shah's statement and will now speak to the girl. A report is expected in two weeks.