Judo Player Alleges Sexual Harassment By Coach; Uttarakhand HC Sets Next Hearing For June 16
Thank you for reading this post, don’t forget to subscribe!
A 19-year-old national-level judo player has filed a PIL accusing her coach of sexual harassment. Uttarakhand High Court will hear the case next on Monday, June 16.
NAINITAL: In a serious matter related to alleged sexual harassment, the Uttarakhand High Court has fixed June 16 (Monday) as the next date of hearing in a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by a 19-year-old national-level judo player from Dehradun.
The young athlete has accused her long-time coach of sexually harassing her during her training sessions.
On Friday (June 14), a division bench of Justice Manoj Kumar Tiwari and Justice Subhash Upadhyay began hearing the case and later postponed it for further hearing to Monday.
The bench is examining the PIL submitted by the judo trainee who hails from Dehradun.
In her petition, the teenager said that she has been undergoing judo and karate training under coach Savita Gurung in Dehradun for the past seven years.
She claimed that over this time, she faced multiple instances of sexual harassment by the coach. According to her petition, the harassment occurred during training sessions, and the matter was not taken seriously despite repeated complaints.
The young player mentioned in the PIL that she had reached out to various authorities, but no strict action was taken, which compelled her to approach the high court directly through a Public Interest Litigation.
She highlighted that as a “national-level judo-karate player”, she worked hard for her achievements and was deeply disturbed by the alleged misconduct from someone she considered her mentor.
ALSO READ: Punjab Pastor Bajinder Singh From Viral ‘Yeshu Yeshu’ Video Faces Sexual Harassment Case
The division bench took note of the seriousness of the allegations and assured that the matter would be heard with the attention it deserves. The bench scheduled the next hearing for June 16, giving time to all concerned parties to present their responses and evidence.
This case has attracted public attention, especially in the sports community, as it once again brings forward concerns about the safety and dignity of female athletes during training.
The court proceedings on June 16 are expected to further determine the course of action against the accused coach, Savita Gurung, depending on the evidence and submissions made.
The young athlete, in her plea, has requested the court to ensure protection for women athletes and to direct authorities to initiate a proper investigation.
She has also appealed for the suspension of the coach during the course of the inquiry so that the safety of other trainees is not compromised.
Click Here to Read Our Reports on CJI Sanjeev Khanna
