Dhanbad (Jharkhand), Feb. 12: The Taekwondo Federation of India's Joint Secretary Sanjay Sharma has been arrested for allegedly sexually exploiting a minor.
The Bokaro police arrested Sharma from his residence at Dhanbad in the Bank More police station area Saturday on the basis of a complaint lodged by the victim, a taekwondo player, at Kamla Market police station in New Delhi.
Bokaro Sector-4 police station officer-in-charge K Mishra said that Sharma was arrested under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and he was sent to Bokaro jail.
Sharma is also the secretary of Jharkhand State Taekwondo Association (JSTA). His elder brother Prabhat Sharma is the national general secretary of TFI.
The victim, who is from Bermo sub division in Bokaro district, had lodged the FIR on February 8.
She had alleged that Sanjay had been sexually exploiting her since 2008 and had threatend to upload her obscene photographs if she disclosed the matter.
According to her complaint, the then Taekwondo coach, Kamlesh Thakur, had allegedly raped her during a championship.
When she reported the matter to Sanjay Sharma, he called her to his quarter at Harmu in Ranchi and allegedly raped her there.
Since then he has been exploiting her and threatening to upload the pictures on Internet, the girl claimed.
The Delhi Police sent the FIR to the police in Bokaro on February 10 following which Sharma was arrested from Dhanbad on Saturday.
When contacted, DSP (Bokaro city) Rajiv Kumar confirmed the arrest and his subsequent dispatch to jail custody.
"On the directive of DIG (Saket Kumar) an investigation has been initiated and written statements of accused family members have been recorded," Kumar said.
However, Sanjay Sharma's wife Pratibha Sharma alleged that former national taekwondo president Harish kumar (IPS) has manipulated the case and got him arrested to settle a score in federation politics.
"Why has the girl filed FIR in Delhi rather than Ranchi after nine years?" she said.
"Harish Kumar is trying to defame Sanjay and his elder brother Prabhat Sharma who is the national general secretary, since he (Harish Kumar) wants to grab the post," alleged Pratima, over telephone from Bokaro.
Pratima also alleged that the victim had often left her house several times in the past.
