TTFI forms a three-member enquiry committee

The Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) has formed a three-member enquiry committee to probe into various charges pressed against Kamlesh Mehta, who was suspended as Secretary General during the annual general meeting (AGM) on Wednesday.

“The federation emphasises that Mehta has not been condemned or removed without due process. He has been placed under suspension pending an enquiry. A three-member enquiry committee has been constituted, and a separate show-cause notice will provide him a full opportunity to present his defence,” Raju Duggal, vice-president and interim treasurer, wrote in a statement issued by the TTFI on Saturday, adding that the Executive Committee has, in accordance with the Federation’s constitution, “unanimously approved the decision”.

“Invoking Clause 11(d) of its Memorandum of Association, the Executive Committee has declared Mehta persona non grata during the enquiry period and communicated its decision to all concerned authorities, including the Sports Ministry, the Sports Authority of India, the Indian Olympic Association, and the international bodies — ITTF and ATTU.”

While the statement doesn’t mention the members of the committee, The Hindu understands that the committee includes Chetan Gurang (Uttarakhand), Samarjeet Singh (Jharkhand) and Sundara Varadhan (Pondicherry). The trio has been a part of the TTFI’s Executive Committee.

“I have not been provided with any details about all these allegations. I can respond to it through proper channels only if and when I get the details,” Mehta told The Hindu. “I would like to reiterate that I did not receive any response from the president when I wrote to her reminding about convening the AGM.”

The TTFI statement also claimed that the action on Mehta “is not limited to procedural lapses alone”. “The Executive Committee has recorded the unilateral creation of WTT India without approval from either the Executive Committee or the AGM, irregular financial decisions flagged by the Comptroller and Auditor General, and unauthorised disbursement of funds received from the Sports Authority of India for the Vadodara WTT Feeder programme, bypassing prescribed guidelines,” the statement read.