NEW DELHI: The Indian contingent at the Asian Para Games in Nagoya has been left embarrassed after para swimmer Mohammad Shams Aalam Shaikh was detained by Japanese police following allegations of sexually harassing and molesting a female hotel employee. The 40-year-old, once a world No 1 in his event, was sent back to India on Tuesday, a day after the alleged incident, and faces the prospect of a lifetime ban from the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI).A senior PCI official, who is part of the Indian delegation in Nagoya and who handled the entire situation, confirmed the development to TOI, describing the alleged misconduct as “reprehensible and intolerable” and saying there could be “no justification” for such behaviour by an athlete representing the country on the international stage.”“Aalam is staring at no less than a lifetime ban for bringing disrepute to the entire Indian delegation participating at the Asian Para Games and for embarrassing the country on the world stage,” the official said.According to the official, the incident occurred on Monday at the Four Points by Sheraton hotel, where the Indian para swimming team was staying. The female employee was reportedly carrying out housekeeping duties in the swimmer’s room when the alleged misconduct took place.“The local organising committee (LOC) informed the chef-de-mission’s (CDM) office that an alleged sexual harassment and molestation incident had occurred at the hotel and that an Indian athlete had been detained by the local police,” the official said.“When we reached the hotel, the police and senior hotel managers were already there. We were told that the athlete had inappropriately touched the female housekeeping staff member, made sexually coloured gestures, attempted to grope her and made sexual advances. She rushed out and informed her superiors. This is what we were told by the police and hotel staff,” the official added.The official said the delegation apologised to the hotel authorities and the employee. Following the complaint, police detained Shaikh and took him to a local police station. The official said the authorities sought his arrest and that he be formally presented before a court.The LOC subsequently intervened, with the Indian delegation asked to furnish a written apology to the employee and ensure that the athlete left Japan. Shaikh was moved to another hotel for the night and booked on the first available flight, departing Nagoya at around 2 pm local time on Tuesday, the official said. He was released after the written apology was furnished, according to the official’s account.“The police authorities had clearly recorded the sexual offence allegation in their formal complaint, in Japanese. We can confirm that since I saw that,” the official said.The official added the incident had diverted senior Indian officials from the contingent’s ongoing sporting campaign. “Instead of focusing on the Games and our athletes’ performances, we spent several hours at the police station and later at the hotel premises convincing the authorities. We were embarrassed in front of everyone,” the official said.He added that the employee appeared to be in deep shock when the delegation returned to the hotel. The hotel and LOC, he said, sought updates on the action India would take and warned that they could pursue formal legal proceedings if they were dissatisfied with the response.The PCI has informed the govt in New Delhi of the proposed action, the official said. After the Games, PCI officials, para swimming administrators and members of the delegation will deliberate on the matter and recommend stringent sanctions to the sports ministry and Sports Authority of India (SAI).“The CDM’s office has already recommended a lifetime ban. A formal decision will be taken at a meeting in Delhi after we return,” the official said.Shaikh, who hails from Bihar’s Madhubani district and lives with his family in Mumbai’s Dharavi, was sent home without competing in his scheduled events on Wednesday.A former world No. 1 in the men’s 100m butterfly (S5) and 50m breaststroke (SB4), according to World Para Swimming records, Shaikh represented India at the 2018 Asian Para Games in Jakarta and won 200m breaststroke gold at the Reykjavik International Games last year, setting Indian and Asian records.The incident comes close on the heels of an Indian hockey umpire and technical official Gurinder Singh Sangha was being sent home from the able-bodied Asian Games in Nagoya following sexual misconduct and harassment complaints by a Malaysian hockey official and a hotel staff member.
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