Suspended coach Ramesh Malhotra on Monday maintained that he never "misbehaved" with women weightlifters during his career and is confident of being "absolved" of sexual harassment charges by the Indian Weightlifting Federation (IWF) inquiry committee.
Sydney Olympics bronze medallist Karnam Malleswari had alleged that Malhotra had been sexually harassing lifters for more than a decade now but the coach said the charges are "false" and aimed at tarnishing his reputation.
"I have not misbehaved with any woman lifter in my career as a weightlifting coach. I treat all of them as my children," Malhotra said.
"The allegations levelled by Malleswari are false. The truth will come out after the inquiry committee probe. I am confident that I would be absolved of the charges by the committee," he said.
He, however, admitted that an anonymous letter was sent to Sports Authority of India (SAI) some 10 years ago alleging that he "was behaving inappropriately" with a woman lifter.
"I think around 10 years ago I don't know which year, I was accused of behaving inappropriately with a woman lifter. Protima Kumari was asked to leave the camp and she stayed at my residence for three months to train under me. I did it after my wife and mother agreed to it. But some people took it in the wrong way. What can I do?" he asked.
Malhotra, who was serving as coach of the core group lifters of the Commonwealth Games at NIS Patiala before his suspension pending an inquiry, said the "false" charges have dented the chances of his winning this year's Dronacharya award.
"I have coached many top lifters who have won laurels for the country for so many years. But now I feel I am nothing after Malleswari made the allegations," he said.
"I thought I had a good chance of winning the Dronacharya award this time. But now I don't think that I will get the award after the allegations," he added.
The SAI coach welcomed the three-member inquiry committee's decision to travel to NIS Patiala to interact with the Commonwealth Games core group women lifters.
"I am happy that the committee is going to Patiala. They will get to know how I behaved with the women lifters there," he said.
"I have still not been asked by the committee to meet them or submit my case in writing. I am expecting a call from the committee soon," he added.
Malhotra was suspended on Saturday pending a probe by an inquiry committee comprising IWF vice-president Kumbasi Subramanya, veteran coach Pal Singh Sandhu and joint Secretary Madan Lal Savli.
Malhotra also accused Malleswari of taking banned substances and skipping dope tests many times, including one conducted by WADA, fearing that she would get caught.
"In the 2004 Olympics she left without taking her lift and she arrived in Delhi five-six hours after the weightlifting competition. It meant she had planned to skip it. Had she took her lift she would have won a medal and would have been caught for doping as all medal winners will have to give samples," he said.
"For the sake of allegations I can also make allegations. I remember Malleswari skipping another dope test when WADA people came to India. She did not turn up to give sample and one lifter Krishna Kumari gave," he added.
