'Harassment cases will be dealt with impartially'

Sports Minister M S Gill on Monday assured that the cases of sexual harassment that have plunged hockey and weightlifting into a moral crisis would be dealt with in a "professional and impartial way".

Gill said the Sports Ministry is keeping a tab on the developments in the scandals that have rocked the two sports.

"The Ministry will do what it has to in a professional and impartial way," Gill said outside Parliament on Monday.

In both cases, coaches are at the centre of the row and have been suspended by the respective federations.

In hockey, veteran coach M K Kaushik has been suspended for alleged sexual harassment of players and the case has been sent to the Delhi Police for a criminal probe.

In weightlifting, Ramesh Malhotra, who was ironically recommended for the Dronacharya award by the Federation, has only been suspended for the time being for allegedly harassing junior lifters for over a decade.

The accusations against Malhotra were levelled by Sydney Olympics bronze medallist Karnam Malleswari, who is now a vice-President in the Indian Weightlifting Federation.