Dear Madam
This is in reference to your letter dated 24.07.2010, wherein you have forwarded the Report of the Enquiry Committee which was appointed to enquiry in the recent issues concerning the women’s hockey team of hockey India to the Ministry of Youth Affairs and sports
This letter has been delivered to me on 26.7.2010 at 11 AM and I was shocked to read the contents of the letter.
At the outset, I would like to record my protest at the gross abuse of power committed byt eh incumbent secretary General Sh. Narender Batra, who is seeking re-election for the same post in the upcoming election to be held on 28.7.2010, in releasing the contents of your letter along with the documents to the media prior to the its receipt by me. During the course of the press conference aired on various TV channels on 24.7.2010, the secretary General specifically mentioned that all the documents have been handed over to the members of the media.
The incumbent Secretary Genera Sh. Narender Batra has been conspiring for long to appoint a certain person as the coach of the women’s national hockey team This is further substantiated by the fact within two to three days of the lodging of the false complaint a prominent ex-hockey player offered his services as the coach of the women’s hockey team.
Further, I would like to draw your attention to the uncalled for observations made by Hockey India in the said letter MYAS. It may noted that the following response are without any prejudice whatsoever to my objections to the findings of the committee.
1. In para 2 of the letter, it has been mentioned that hockey India has decided that in future it will not avail services of both Mr. Basavaraj and Mr. MK Kushik
The wordings, that in future it will not avail services of both is strongly objected to by me, as you are awar that till today there is no conclusive enquiry report which has held me guilt of the charges leveled against me. The report dated 23.7.2010 submitted by the enquiry committee constituted by hockey India has nowhere recommend that in future my series should not be availed. In point of 2 of the report, it has only mentioned that since he had resigned therefore his services are no longer required.
Please let know as to what has prompted hockey India to arrive at the conclusion that in future my services would not be required. The enquiry Report only suggests that a further enquiry may be conduced by GOI MYAS in according with the guidelines of Supreme court of India under Vishaka judgement.
I demand Hockey India to withdraw this statement with immediate effect as it shows mala fide intention and the present of a large conspiracy against me.
In para 3 of the letter, the following objectionable statement has been made by Hockey India feels that the committee should have recommend action and not merely suggested for action to ministry of sports
The above statement against shows that Hockey India is trying to undermine the report submittd by the very committee that was constituted by it. It is clearly apparent that since the comitee could find no substance or corroboration of the various allegations in the complaint of Ms Th. Ranjita Devi and since the report does not contain eve a single negative findings against me, it has not going down well with the c powers that be in Hockey India. By making remarks undermining the findings of the committee constituted by it, the management of Hockey India is desparately trying to substantiate its agenda of replacing me as the national coach of the Women’s Hockey team.
Further in paragarh 4 of the report it has been stated that hockey India feels, that the written versions of ms. Th. Ranjitha devi commands high credibility since it has made specific charges and specific statements which related to MK Kaushik about oral advances made by him, and since oru committee did not have coercive powers to verify and test the versions of Ms. Rajjitha Devi which carries high credibility.
The above paragraph confirms clearly contradictory statements. In first line it says that the management gives high importance the statements of Ms Rajanitha Devi since she has leveled specific charges and specific statements against me. In second part of the paragraph the management admits that the Committee did not have coercive powers to verify and test the versions of Ms. Rajitha Devi. Now it is very hard to understand that how can a statement be termed as highly credible when admittedly it has not been verified? Curiously, the report of the Enquiry Committee does not conclude that Ms. Th. Ranjitha Devis’s statements command high credibility, despite having questioned her in person as also Vasu Thapliyal and Mr Khalid Modi. Yet the management of Hockey India concludes that the statement of Ms. Th Ranjith Devi is highly credible. This is further confirmation of the fact that the management of Hockey India is conspiring against me to malign may stature in the sports fraternity and the society in general further, it shows that hockey India is conducting this whole affair with a bias against me and concluding that I am guilty and su a such this is against the principle of natural justice.
4. In para 7 of the letter it has been mentioned that “but the proposed enquiry under section 354 IPC, hence we are marking a copy of this letter along with all enclosures to Commissioner of Police Delhi for necessary action at their end and also hope that from now on GOI MYAS will take it up with Delhi Police to bring it to its logical conclusion.”
I strongly object to the statement ”hence we are marking a copy of this letter along with all enclosures to commissioner of police Delhi for necessary action at their end”, since the enquiry committee in its report has nowhere recommended that the complaint be investigated by the police. This clearly is an attempt to transgress the power of the committee And also this action is clearly not n conformity with the clear cut guidelines issued by the Hon’ble Supreme Court in the Vishaka case which states that the enquiry should be done by a committee.
I also strongly object to the act of sending the report to the police authorities as it is clear that the decision to send the matter to the police was pre-mediated and is part of a larger conspiracy that has been hatched by the management of Hockey India to replace me. I see this as an attempt to intimidate me, y family and future coaches.
5. In Para 8 of the letter it has been stated that “Hockey India feels that this is a very serious issue and needs to be enquired and investigated urgently and this case should be made an example case so that such issues never occur in future in any sport in India”.
The tone and tenor of this statement makes it clear that the management of Hockey India is acting in a vindictive manner and making recommendations to the higher authorities which are against the conclusion of the enquiry committee. This is obvious in light of the management’s statement purporting to make this entire false complaint and subsequent proceedings as an ‘example case’. Let me assure you of my intent to take all appropriate legal remedies against al the persons responsible for maligning my name and stature in this case.
Signed letter reproduced here