Paralympic association president Rajesh Tomar suspended after Para-Athletics championship fiasco

The Paralympic Committee of India on Monday suspended president Rajesh Tomar after the recent 15th National Para-Athletics championship fiasco which brought to light the gross mismanagement of differently abled sportspersons participating in the championships. The decision was taken in the PCI’s executive committee meeting in Bengaluru on April 4. Tomar has been also charged with mismanagement.

In a shocking case of apathy, the participants were accommodated in unfurnished flats with unhygenic facilities. Video footage surfaced showing athletes crawling up staircases, sleeping on the floor and being served with unhygenic food.

The Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) had constituted a three-member enquiry committee to investigate the matter and the committee was asked to submit the report by March 26th.

Instead of fighting for the rights of the participants, Mr Tomar had completely absolved himself of all the blame. When Firstpost contacted him soon after the incident was brought to light , he had said: “I as the president cannot go everywhere to handle the organisational aspect of the events taking place in the country.”

He said that the organisational committee headed by Mr Satyanarayan, the Director of Competition, is completely responsible for the event along with the Uttar Pradesh Paralympic Association. “Since they are responsible entirely for sourcing out the funds for the event to take place, I am not privy to the organisational workings.”

When he was asked who the organising committee reports to, Mr Tomar backtracked and insisted that the “committee does not report to me, it is independent.”

Later, on March 27, the PCI committee suspended four office bearers and one official of PCI - Nale Nand Kishore (vice-president), M Madhusa Srinivasa Rao (joint secretary), Narayanan T (member), Rajesh Lamechwal (member) and Satyanarayana (executive officer) to ensure a fair probe into allegations of misappropriation of funds.

“The suspended members have allegedly indulged in anti-federation activities including misappropriation of funds of PCI and attempting to sabotage the national pride and prestige in the eyes of the international community in the run-up to the 1st Indian Open Para Games 2015,” PCI president Rajesh Tomar had said in a release.

Tomar further said, “The suspension will ensure that the evidence is not tampered with and that a free, fair and an independent enquiry is conducted by Hon’ble Mr. Justice J K Mehra (a retired judge of the Hon’ble High Court of Delhi), based on which necessary disciplinary action will be taken against the guilty.”

Now, incidentally Tomar himself has been suspended.

On January 22, Firstpost’s Sarakshi Rai had brought out the story of how the Paralympians had been discriminated and ignored.