PCI sacks its president, contemplates criminal case

The Paralympics Committee of India (PCI) has sacked its president Rajesh Tomar for the gross mismanagement at the recent National Para-Athletics
Championship in Ghaziabad, where athletes suffered due to lack of proper facilities. 

There were also charges of financial mismanagement during the 2014 Incheon Asian Para Games on Tomar. 

The decision to suspend Tomar, who blamed the government for the Ghaziabad fiasco, was taken at the Executive Committee meeting of the PCI on April 4 in Bangalore. 

The Executive Committee has appointed a three-member panel headed by a retired Delhi High Court Justice to probe Tomar's "misuse of power" and alleged financial mismanagement. Tomar was not present at the EC meeting. 

PCI Secretary General J Chandrashekar told PTI that Tomar was mainly responsible for the mismanagement of the Ghaziabad event but he "shifted" the blame to government instead of owning responsibility as head of the national para sports body.  He said Tomar also suspended five officials blaming them
for the Ghaziabad fiasco and appointed an inquiry panel without authority.

In a shocking case of official apathy, differently-abled sportspersons participating in the 15th National Para-Athletics Championships (March 20-22) were put up at unfurnished and unhygienic accommodations in Ghaziabad, prompting the Sports Ministry to seek a report from the organisers. 

Interestingly, the PCI Secretary General said that no action will be taken against anybody by the PCI for the Ghaziabad incident. 

"Tomar only gave the green signal to go ahead the National Para Athletics Championships at Ghaziabad and said everything was fine. He did not go for a pre-event inspection. He is based nearby but he was not present for most part of the event. Instead of owning up responsibility he shifted the blame to others and to the sports ministry. So the EC has decided to suspend him," he said from Bangalore. 

"He (Tomar) misused his power by appointing an inquiry committee to probe the Ghaziabad incident without consulting any office bearer and then suspended five executive committee members on charges of financial misappropriation in a unilateral decision without authority. EC can only do that and not the President. 

"Those officials had nothing to do with any financial matter and the letter of suspension sent to them were on the personal letterhead of Tomar and not of PCI and so null and void," he added. Tomar could not be contacted despite repeated attempts as his mobile phone returned with switched-off response. 

Chandrashekar said that some members of the EC have alleged mismanagement of funds by Tomar during the Para Asian Games in Incheon last year.