India, April 19 -- The Paralympic Committee of India has sacked Dronacharya awardee coach Naval Singh with immediate effect after harassment allegations made by Paralympic champion Sumit Antil, in a case that has quickly turned into one of the most serious athlete-welfare controversies in Indian athletics.

The matter had already gathered major attention after Antil lodged a formal complaint, and Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra backed it. With PCI action against Naval, the issue has moved well beyond a private athlete-coach fallout and into a full-blown institutional crisis.

Antil's complaint centred on allegations of repeated verbal abuse and mental harassment. In the strongest statement to emerge from the episode, Antil told PTI, "He me...