Budhia alleges harassment by Coach

Bhubaneswar, Aug 13: In a shocking incident child prodigy and world's youngest marathon runner Budhia Singh yesterday alleged that he was harassed, tortured and assaulted by his coach Biranchi Das and decided not to run in future.

Budhia's aggrieved mother Sukanti Singh had also made similar allegations against Coach Biranchi Das and threatened to file a case against him.

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When contacted, the Coach, who had also adopted the marathon kid, dubbed the allegations as 'baseless, unfounded and motivated'.

Mr Das said Budhia's mother had lavelled all these baseless allegations against him after he drew her attention on certain objectionable behaviour of her daughter, who was residing in the Judo Association Hall along with other inmates.

Budhia, an athletic marvel, whose name figured in the Limca Book of world record for running nonstop 65 kilometres between Puri and Bhubaneshwar in May 2 last year, had severed all his links with the coach and was recently staying with his mother in a slum area for last 15 days, sources said.

The child prodigy told a local TV channel that his coach had thrown hot water on him and put hot iron rod on his body on many occasions.

His mother Sukanti Singh alleged that Biranchi Das had siphoned all the money his son had received from various quarters during the last one year.

So far no FIR had been lodged by the wonder kid's mother against Biranchi Das for exploiting and assaulting the marathon kid, police said.

UNI