VIJAYAWADA: Women kabaddi players who accused AP Kabaddi Association State Secretary V Veera Lankaiah of sexual harassment and corruption met BC Welfare Association national president R Krishnaiah and submitted a representation seeking justice. Responding to their request, Krishnaiah assured that he would bring the issue to Governor ESL Narasimhan’s notice so that appropriate action could be initiated against Veera Lankaiah.
On May 10, five Kabaddi players – P Sunitha, KLV Ramani, S Gautami, Sunitha and P Dhana Lakshmi – and Krishna District Kabaddi Association Secretary Yalamanchili Srikanth held a press conference and alleged that Veera Lankaiah had sold about 100 Form-2 certificates for lakhs of rupees and demanded sexual favours from women players when they approached him for issuing the certificates. They further accused him of insulting the players.Krishnaiah told the kabaddi players that BC leaders across the state would stand in support with them. “Such incidents should be condemned and stringent punishment awarded to the accused. Our BC leaders will support the fight of the kabaddi players and even go on hunger strikes until the government takes action against Veera Lankaiah,” Krishnaiah added.
In the letter, the kabaddi players said the state secretary of the kabaddi association harassed women players when they approached him to issue Form-2 certificate, which is required to apply for government jobs under sports quota. “I dropped my plan to apply for a Railway job when he demanded money for issuing the certificate. When I expressed my inability to pay the money, he asked me for sexual favours,” a kabaddi player wrote.
The five players had earlier lodged a complaint with the Vijayawada police against Veera Lankaiah accusing him of sexual harassment and selling Form- 2 certificates. Following the complaint, Machavaram police registered a case under IPC Sections 354 (assault or criminal force to a woman with an intention to outrage her modesty), 385 (threatening a person for extortion) and 409 (criminal breach of trust) and summoned him to appear before the investigating officer for questioning. Veera Lankaiah appeared before the Fourth Additional Metropolitan Magistrate Court on Wednesday and was remanded in 14 days’ judicial custody. “Instead of taking part in the police investigation, he cleverly approached the court and got bail,” the players said.