Bhubaneswar, March 2: The Odisha government has set up an inquiry committee to investigate allegations of physical and mental abuse made by minor inmates of the Sports Hostel at Kalinga Stadium.
According to an official statement from the Sports and Youth Services Department, the committee will be led by Ashok Kumar Panda (Additional Secretary), with members including Amit Kumar Nayak (Deputy Secretary), Sonali Chand (OSD), and Rupanwita Panda (Under Secretary), all from the Sports Department. The panel has been tasked with submitting a factual report as soon as possible.
In response to the allegations, the department has suspended Sandeep Sejwal, the head coach of the JSW-IIS swimming program. On Saturday night, hostel residents held a protest against Sejwal, threatening to refuse dinner unless their grievances were addressed. Sejwal was a 2008 Beijing Olympics participant and 2014 Asian Games bronze medallist.
The High-Performance Swimming Centre, a joint initiative with JSW Group, was established in 2022 and trains about 50 young swimmers from various districts of Odisha.
The complainants have accused Sejwal of ridiculing students from underprivileged backgrounds, using sexist language, and engaging in physical intimidation. They also alleged that he excluded high-performing swimmers, denying them adequate training and support.
