Himachal Pradesh Women Footballers Accuse ‘Drunk’ AIFF Committee Member Of Assault

Indian football was plunged into turmoil last Friday when two players from Khad FC accused Deepak Sharma, the general secretary of the Himachal Pradesh Football Association, of physical assault. Palak Verma and Ritika Thakur claimed they were attacked by Deepak while he was allegedly intoxicated, on the night of Thursday, March 28, in Goa. The players lodged a complaint with the All India Football Federation (AIFF) the following day, expressing fear for their safety and urging immediate action.

Khad FC, representing Himachal Pradesh, is currently competing in the inaugural season of the Indian Women’s League 2, with Palak having captained the team in two out of three matches played so far.

According to the complaint, witnessed by Sportstar, the altercation occurred after the players were boiling eggs for dinner due to unavailability of food. Deepak reportedly barged into their room and assaulted both Palak and Ritika, allegedly in a drunken state, escalating an ongoing issue with his intoxication since the beginning of their association.

Deepak holds multiple positions within the AIFF, including executive committee member, deputy chairperson of the competition committee, and chairperson of the federation’s infrastructure committee, as per the AIFF website.

News of the incident surfaced on the morning of March 29, prompting the match commissioner, Sujesh Rajan, to take note and coordinate with the Goa Football Association, the host federation, for prompt action.