A day after Dutee Chand claimed that she is facing expulsion from family for having a same-sex relationship, her mother came out with a strong statement against the celebrated Indian sprinter.
On Monday, the athlete's mother said that she will not accept Dutee's relationship with a girl, who is like her grand-daughter.
"Dutee wants to marry a girl, who is the daughter of my niece, so she is my grand-daughter. In this relation, Dutee will be like the mother of that girl. Then how will it be possible in our society in Odisha.
"I told her (Dutee) that I cannot accept this. She told me that the court has given the order. When I asked which court has given you such order, she told me that High court. I told her that I'm alive here and you are bringing orders from the court. She told me that yes court has given order and all the mentors are supporting me. (She asked) whether you will support me or not. I asked which Sir, Shiv Sir, Gagan Sir or Samanta sir, Achyut Samant of KIIT college.
"She told that I'll do everything by the help of them. I told her that I'll like to talk to them, but she avoided it. So day before yesterday, I told my elder daughter Saraswati that I don't know where they are staying, you take me to them. Saraswati took me to them but he (Achyut Samant of KIIT) had already left for Delhi and yesterday when all these things were happening.
"I want that she (Dutee) should focus on her sports as the government wants. Government has given a lot of money to her for the sake of the country. Dutee may not keep father and mother's name but she should keep the prestige of the nation through her sports," Akhoji told ANI.
Earlier in the day, Dutee's sister also dismissed her claim saying that the sprinter's partner is the one who's is pressurising and blackmailing the family for wealth and property.
"With great sorrow, I have to say that the decision taken by Dutee is not of her own. She's
been pressurised and blackmailed into marriage by that girl and her family. All of this has been done to grab the property and wealth of Dutee," she told ANI.
Saraswati, who is also an athlete, made serious allegations and said her sister has been "led into a trap" to "deviate her from sports".
"Dutee's life and property are in danger. That's why I request the government to provide
protection and security to Dutee.
"She is an adult. It's her decision whether she wants to marry a girl or a boy. But Dutee has been forced to speak all this. Otherwise, a decision about marriage could have been
discussed later."
"Those people who claim to have played a role in Dutee's success are the culprits. It's them who are deviating her from sports and miring her into controversy. She's been led into a trap. Instead of focusing on the 2020 Olympics and World Championship, she's been dragged into this. Every government department has been encouraging her for sports," she added.
Yesterday, Chand revealed that she is "having a relationship with a 19-year-old woman". But she said that while her parents have not yet raised any objection to her relationship, her eldest sister has threatened to not only expel her from the family but also send her to jail.
"My eldest sister kind of wields power and authority in my family. She has thrown out my elder brother from home because she does not like his wife. She has threatened me that same will happen to me. But I am also an adult who has individual freedom. So, I decided to go ahead with this and make it public," she told PTI.
"My eldest sister feels that my partner is interested in my property. She has told me that
she will send me to jail for having this relationship," she said.
Dutee said her partner is free to marry whoever she wants to if she decides to do so in future.
Dutee, who was banned for one year by the international athletics federation in 2014 for
having higher testosterone (male sex hormone) level than permissible, hails from Chaka
Gopalpur village at Jajpur district of Odisha and she was born to Chakradhar Chand and Akhuji Chand.
Dutee won a landmark 'gender' case against the IAAF in an appeal to the Court of Arbitration in 2015 and she was allowed to compete after being banned for one year.
The CAS suspended the IAAF's policy on hyperandrogenism for two years.
Later the world body changed the policy, which is applicable only on female athletes competing in the range of 400m to 1500m, leaving out Dutee, who competes in 100m and 200m, from its ambit.
