Girl students alleged that OSD Hari Krishna, a veterinarian, used to enter their rooms in the middle of the night and misbehave with them.
Telangana State Sports School in Hakimpet. (Creative Commons)
The Telangana government placed a senior officer on special duty (OSD) at the Telangana State Sports School in Hakimpet in the Medchal-Malkajgiri district of the state under suspension on Sunday, 13 August, after he was accused of sexual harassment by some girl athletes.
Athletes from all 33 districts of the state are undergoing training at the residential sports school.
The girls alleged that OSD Hari Krishna, a veterinarian in the Animal Husbandry Department, used to enter their rooms in the middle of the night and misbehave.
Earlier in the day, BRS MLC and former Nizamabad Member of Parliament K Kavitha requested Telangana Sports Minister V Srinivas Goud, by posting a message on X (formerly Twitter), to take “immediate action against the accused officer”.
Meanwhile, the Shameerpet police told South First that they have not received a complaint in the matter so far.
Men are not allowed to go inside the girls’ hostel at night even if they represent the authorities.
“The girls alleged that the OSD accommodated them in the guest house on the hostel premises. Some of them even said that he took them out in the name of entertainment in the evening and sexually assaulted them there,” a Sports Department official from the Medchal-Malkajgiri district told South First on the condition of anonymity.
It was also alleged that a few officers, including a woman sports coach, were supporting Hari Krishna. As per reports, the accused OSD is in a relationship with this woman coach.
The case evoked the memories of allegations of sexual harassment against the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI)’s former chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh by female wrestlers, for which the latter protested in two rounds.
In that case, the Delhi Police told a metropolitan court there was enough evidence to put him on trial.
Taking to social media, BRS MLC K Kavitha — daughter of Telangana Chief Minister and party chief K Chandrashekar Rao — said, “An article in a daily newspaper made me very upset. There should be no room for such things in the Telangana government, which is working under the leadership of CM KCR.”
She added, “I request the Hon’ble Minister @VSrinivasGoud to take immediate action against the officer who is accused of sexual harassment of the girl, conduct a full-scale investigation and do justice to the victims.”
Responding to the BRS leader’s post, Sports & Youth Services Minister Srinivas Goud, who represents the Mahbubnagar constituency, said the accused officer had been suspended and a full-scale investigation would be conducted regarding the sexual harassment allegations.
@raokavitha అక్క, ఆరోపణలు ఎదుర్కొంటున్న అధికారిని తక్షణమే సస్పెండ్ చేస్తాం. హకీంపేట స్పోర్ట్స్ స్కూల్ లో బాలికలపై లైంగిక వేధింపుల వార్తలపై ఉన్నతాధికారులతో పూర్తి స్థాయిలో విచారణ చేపట్టి, నిందితులపై అత్యంత కఠిన చర్యలు తీసుకోవడం జరుగుతుంది. తెలంగాణ రాష్ట్రంలో సీఎం కేసీఆర్ గారి… https://t.co/O2rDflRUWU
— V Srinivas Goud (@VSrinivasGoud) August 13, 2023
“@raokavitha Sister, we will immediately suspend the accused officer. A full-scale investigation will be conducted with the higher authorities on the reports of sexual harassment of girls in Hakimpet Sports School and strict action will be taken against the culprits. We will not ignore the harassment of women in Telangana state under the administration of CM KCR. Strict action will be taken against the people who commit such incidents,” said Goud.
Speaking to the reporters, he said, “Because the matter is related to sexual harassment and women, we have immediately suspended him. If he is innocent, let it come out in the inquiry. But for now, he stays suspended.”
Speaking to the reporters, the accused OSD and veterinary doctor Hari Krishna claimed that the allegations were levelled only to defame the sports school and the students enrolled there, and their parents know that very well.
“In the last three-and-a-half years, there was nothing as such, so why did this come up now?” he asked.
He added that he was ready for a full-fledged inquiry in order to clear his and the sports school’s name.
“For others, who might think to enrol in this school after seeing this news, I am ready for a full-fledged enquiry so that the truth comes out. I have done nothing wrong, so I have nothing to fear. If there is any truth to it, it will anyway come out. As the suspension is an official procedure, it has to be carried out,” said Hari Krishna.
He also reportedly said it was not proper to suspend him based on a news report published in a vernacular newspaper.
He added that he would take legal action against the newspaper that published a news report against him.
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