Thursday, 06 April 2023 | PNS | DEHRADUN
Statements of the girls allegedly harassed by cricket coach Narendra Shah were recorded in a Dehradun court on Wednesday under section 164 (recording of confessions and statements) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), said the police circle officer Pankaj Gairola. He said that the three victims who have accused the 65-year-old coach of sexual harassment have given their statements in court. On the question of the delay in questioning Shah about the allegations, he said that the police are yet to probe him as he was referred to All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Rishikesh on Tuesday from the Government Doon Medical College hospital for further evaluation and treatment. However, he added, the police team is working on the case diligently and will question the coach soon and take action accordingly. Shah allegedly attempted suicide by consuming poison on March 24 at his Nehru Colony home after some audio clips went viral in which he can be purportedly heard having an indecent conversation with minor girls who were undergoing training in his cricket academy. The police registered a case against Shah in Nehru Colony Police Station under section 7/8 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, section 354 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and SC ST Act on the complaint of one of the victim’s father. According to the complaint, Shah allegedly harassed and abused his daughter and used casteist slurs. The police also received similar complaints from two other teenage girls. The former chairperson of the State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (SCPCR) Usha Negi also raised questions about the coach being referred to AIIMS Rishikesh when his health was allegedly stable. She said that when she asked the officials concerned in the hospital why Shah was referred to AIIMS when every facility was available, they said that the patient was complaining of stomach ache and the committee decided to refer him to AIIMS. She said that she also met the superintendent of police (Crime) and sought that action should be taken against the accused soon.
