Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government constituted an inquiry committee to investigate allegations of physical and mental abuse made by minor inmates of the Sports Hostel in Kalinga Stadium.

Per an official statement of the Sports and Youth Services Department, the committee comprises Ashok Kumar Panda (Additional Secretary), Amit Kumar Nayak (Deputy Secretary), Sonali Chand (OSD), and Rupanwita Panda (Under Secretary) from the Sports Department. The panel has been directed to submit a factual report at the earliest.

Following the allegations, the department suspended Sandeep Sejwal, head coach of the JSW-IIS swimming program, from his position. On Saturday night, the hostel inmates staged a protest against Sejwal, threatening to boycott dinner if their grievances were not addressed.

The High-Performance Swimming Centre, established in collaboration with JSW Group in 2022, trains around 50 young swimmers from various districts of Odisha.

The complainants accused Sejwal of mocking students from underprivileged backgrounds, using sexist slurs, and resorting to physical intimidation. They also alleged that he sidelined high-performing swimmers and later denied them proper training and support.