Last Friday, Indian football was rocked by turmoil as 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 alleged that they were attacked by Deepak while he was purportedly intoxicated, during the evening of Thursday, March 28, in Goa. The players filed a complaint with the All India Football Federation (AIFF) the following day, expressing concerns for their safety and demanding immediate intervention.
Representing Himachal Pradesh, Khad FC is currently participating in the inaugural season of the Indian Women’s League 2, with Palak having captained the team in two out of three matches played thus far.
According to the complaint, witnessed by Sportstar, the altercation ensued when the players were preparing dinner by boiling eggs due to a lack of available food. Allegedly in a drunken state, Deepak intruded into their room and assaulted both Palak and Ritika, exacerbating a longstanding issue with his intoxication since the inception of their association.
Deepak holds various 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 match commissioner Sujesh Rajan to take notice and collaborate with the Goa Football Association, the host federation, to initiate swift action.