Nagoya / New Delhi, October 22: Indian para swimmer Mohammad Shams Aalam Shaikh, 40, has been sent back to India from the Asian Para Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, after Japanese police detained him over allegations of sexually harassing a female housekeeping employee at the hotel where the Indian para-swimming team was staying, according to reports citing a senior Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) official who is part of the Indian delegation. The allegations have not been proven, and no court outcome in Japan has been reported.

According to the account that police and hotel staff gave the Indian delegation, as reported by The Times of India, the alleged incident took place on Monday while the employee was cleaning Shaikh's room. She alleged that the swimmer touched her inappropriately, made sexually coloured gestures and suggestions, and tried to touch her again; she ran out of the room and informed her superiors. The local organising committee then informed the chef-de-mission's office, and the delegation apologised to the hotel authorities and staff, the report said. These details are allegations reported by officials and hotel staff, not established findings.

Shaikh was sent back to India on Tuesday, a day after the alleged incident, without competing at the Games. The Aichi-Nagoya edition was to have been his third consecutive appearance at the Asian Para Games.

The PCI is considering disciplinary action, including a possible lifetime ban. A senior PCI official told The Times of India that the alleged misconduct was reprehensible and intolerable and that the swimmer could face nothing less than a life ban for embarrassing the Indian delegation. Other reports say a formal PCI decision is likely after the Games conclude. Shaikh's own response to the allegations has not been reported so far.

Who is Shams Aalam Shaikh?

Shaikh, a para swimmer from Bihar, has represented India internationally for over a decade. He was previously ranked world No. 1 in the men's 100m butterfly (S5) and 50m breaststroke (SB4) categories, and he won gold medals in the 200m and 50m breaststroke events at the 2018 Asian Para Games in Jakarta.

Awaaz Punjab is treating every detail of the alleged incident as an allegation, as reported by the sources below. This story will be updated if the PCI, Japanese authorities or the athlete issue a formal statement.

Source: The CSR Journal