Santhi to file case against authorities

Ten years after she was stripped of a medal for failing a ‘gender test’ during the Doha Asian Games, former athlete Santhi Soundarrajan is set to file a human rights violation case against the authorities, including Athletics Federation of India and Indian Olympic Association.

Santhi, whose silver medal she won in 800m at the 2006 Asiad was taken off by the Olympic Council of Asia, has filed complaints at the National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, National Commission for Human Rights and National Commission for Women.

Gopi Shankar, head of NGO Srishti Madurai, said that Santhi is now planning to file a petition at either Madras High Court or the Supreme Court. AFI President Adille Sumariwalla, however, said that the federation cannot do much because Santhi was banned and medal stripped by the OCA during the Asian Games.

Shankar said due to lack of documents, including the report of the test conducted in Doha in 2006 on the basis of which Santhi was banned and stripped of her medal, she has not been able to file human rights violation complaints.

“Can you imagine that Soundarajan was not given the report of the test done in 2006 in Doha and it is ten years now? I filed an RTI to get the report, she also filed another RTI but she has not got the report on the basis of which she was banned and medal taken off,” Shankar said from Madurai.