SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, Nov 17: Rattled by the inaction of the state chess association, a Dalit chess player of Jamshedpur is going to move the Jharkhand Backward Commission for justice against his assault by a senior player during the state championship in Ranchi.
Victim Bhola Nath Das said that despite giving a written complaint to the state association, the officials have neither probed the matter nor taken action against the assaulter even after 20 days of the incident.
As per the complaint, a senior player Pritam Singh slapped and abused Bhola Nath Das in the 5th round on October 28) during the senior chess championship held at Sarala Birla University Ranchi.
Das lodged a written complaint with the All Jharkhand Chess Association (AJCA) general secretary Neeraj Mishra just after the incident.
“Even after 20 days, the association has not taken cognizance of my complaint. No committee has been formed till date. No one has inquired him about the incident and the culprit has not been punished. So, I have decided to move to the Jharkhand Backward Commission for justice if the association does not take action on the incident in one week,” said Das.
He further said that he is so upset by the incident that he has left no option but to leave the chess. “That is why I will not participate in the Jamshedpur tournament which is to be held on November 27.”
Das said he feels humiliated and has no courage to stand before other players after being slapped and abused publicly by Pritam Singh. “It seems he has been shielded by authorities,” he added.
A senior player of Jamshedpur alleged that the office-bearers and arbiters were trying to shield Pritam Singh because no appealing committee was formed in the championship incident immediately after the incident to decide on the spot. More surprisingly, it all happened on the premises of AJCA president Prem Verma.
East Singhbhum Chess Association president NK Tiwary also expressed disappointment with the delay in the action by the state body.
“Both are my players (East Singhbhum). On the second day of the incident, I shot off a letter to the state association group for probe and action against the guilty person. President and a general secretary both received the message. But, unfortunately, the association has not set up a committee for investigation till date. If the allegation is wrong then the complainant should be punished otherwise assaulter should be booked,” he said.
The lone International FIDE arbiter of Jharkhand Jayant Kumar Bhuiyan said that as per the law, the chief arbiter of the championship has to settle the complaint within half an hour during a match, not after the championship.
However, AJCA general secretary Neeraj Mishra when contacted said that the final decision on the complaint has not been taken. But the AJCA president is serious about the alleged incident. “Major point is that the association has not got any evidence of the incident. Moreover, the association is waiting for the report of the tournament director Manish Kumar who has not submitted it so far,” he said.
Interestingly, 20 players and some guardians who were present in the hall when the incident occurred are a signatory on the complaint paper as a witness but association officials are searching for evidence. Besides it, vice-president Vijay Kumar Singh, joint secretary Ajay Kumar, treasurer, tournament director Manish Kumar Olympiad FIDE arbiter Dipak Kumar all were reportedly present in the hall as well as on premises but the association has not got any evidence.
