By S A Ishaqui
Hyderabad,Aug. 5: A woman cricketer on Wednesday shocked everyone by saying that she had lied about being sexually harassed by Mr V. Chamundeswarnath, the suspended secretary of the Andhra Cricket Association who was the manager of India’s T20 World Cup team.
The twist in the tale occurred in the Andhra Pradesh High Court when it took up the petition of Mr Chamundeswarnath in which he alleged that he was being implicated in the case and sought quashing of proceedings against him. Mr C. Padmanabha Reddy, senior counsel arguing on behalf of the petitioner, told the court that the two women cricketers, Ms Neelima and Ms Monica Sai, had deposed against Mr Chamundeswarnath on July 24. The counsel also told the judge, Justice G. Bhavani Prasad, that Ms Neelima was present in the court.
Ms Neelima then surprised everyone present by declaring that the statement she had given earlier to the police was not true. “I was forced to speak against Chamundi and I was made to give a statement against him before the police at the behest of a coach,” she added.
The judge then said that the court would take a decision on quashing the criminal proceedings against the petitioner only after hearing the other complainant who had also alleged sexual harassment. He asked the petitioner’s counsel to implead the woman as one of the respondents. The court will hear the case again on Thursday.
Police had initially registered the case under Section 506 (criminal intimidation) and 509 (intending to insult the modesty of woman) against Mr Chamundeswarnath but later included the non-bailable Section 354 (assault or use of criminal force to any woman, intending to outrage modesty). “This was done only to see that he is put behind bars,” said Mr Padmanabha Reddy.
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