On Sunday, April 23, several top Indian wrestlers including Sakshi Malik, Bajrang Punia, and Vinesh Phogat returned to Jantar Mantar in Delhi to protest against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. It is notable that a complaint has also been lodged at Connaught Place Police Station by several female wrestlers on Friday this week against Singh accusing him of sexual harassment. The Delhi Police has not yet registered an FIR in the matter.
A complaint has also been submitted to the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW), taking to Twitter DCW chief Swati Maliwal informed that a notice has been issued to the police and wrote, “Several women wrestlers of the country had given a complaint of sexual harassment against the WFI President at Connaught Place Police Station two days ago. One of the complainants is also a minor. Till now the Delhi Police has not registered an FIR in the matter, which is against the law. Have given notice to police, reply to DCW in 48 hours.”
देश की कई महिला Wrestlers ने दो दिन पहले कैनॉट प्लेस पुलिस स्टेशन में WFI अध्यक्ष के ख़िलाफ़ यौन शोषण की शिकायत दी थी। एक शिकायतकर्ता नाबालिग भी है। अब तक दिल्ली पुलिस ने मामले में FIR दर्ज नहीं की, जो क़ानून के ख़िलाफ़ है। पुलिस को नोटिस दिया है, 48 घंटे में DCW को जवाब दे। pic.twitter.com/bvvgHZikCQ
— Swati Maliwal (@SwatiJaiHind) April 23, 2023
We filed a complaint at CP Police Station, Sakshi Malik said during a press conference. Two days have passed, yet no FIR has been filed. Seven women, including a juvenile, filed complaints. Nothing has been done as of yet, although it makes for a POSCO case.
#WATCH | Delhi: Wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik break down while interacting with the media as they protest against WFI chief Brij Bhushan Singh pic.twitter.com/OVsWDp2YuA
— ANI (@ANI) April 23, 2023
Taking to Twitter earlier in the day, wrestler Vinesh Phogat wrote that several female wrestlers who brought laurels to the country have been harassed and sexually exploited by Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. She also added that despite filing a police complaint, no FIR has been registered yet.
@PMOIndia @DelhiPolice, @NCWIndia @DCPNewDelhi , @PMO_NaMo, @IndiaSports, @India_NHRC, @SupremeCourtIND, @MLJ_GoI, @timesofindia, @ThePrintIndia pic.twitter.com/cGvY9tAyie
— Vinesh Phogat (@Phogat_Vinesh) April 23, 2023
Three months have passed since their initial sit-in protest at Jantar Mantar in January of this year. The protesting wrestlers had leveled an array of accusations against Singh and the federation, including money embezzlement, mental and sexual abuse, threats of death, and sexual exploitation.
Following this, an Oversight Committee was formed by the government on January 23, with star boxer Mary Kom as its head. The committee was tasked with investigating the allegations leveled against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and a one-month deadline was also set, however, till now the findings of the committee have not been made public. Wrestlers like Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik, and Vinesh Phogat have expressed their disappointment over the same.
Yogeshwar Dutt, an Olympic medal-winning wrestler, former badminton player, and member of the Mission Olympic Cell, Rajesh Rajagopalan, a former CEO of the Target Olympic Podium Scheme, and Radhica Sreeman, a former executive director (teams) of the Sports Authority of India, are the other members of the Oversight Committee.
Following the protests in January, Brij Bhushan Singh had rejected allegations of dictatorship and sexual harassment raised by wrestlers on 18th January 2023. Brij Bhushan Singh has said, “I am ready to face an FIR, or CBI inquiry and even face the highest legal authority in India. I will hang myself if the allegations are found to be true.”
