Sexual harassment allegations against WFI chief: SC FIR to be registered today, Delhi Police says
An information report will be filed against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Saran Singh from Friday, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the Supreme Court of India on Friday.
Following this development, the Delhi Police agreed to register an FIR against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. on a complaint of sexual harassment by women wrestlers.
Appearing for the Delhi Police, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said that the FIR will be registered today before a bench comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice PS Narasimha.
“We have decided to file an FIR. It will be filed today,” said the Mehta bench, hearing a petition filed by seven women wrestlers alleging non-filing of an FIR on allegations of sexual harassment against Singh.
Top wrestlers of the country, including Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat, have been on a sit-in since Sunday at Delhi’s Janntar Mantar. They are demanding that the government make public the findings of the oversight committee that investigated allegations of sexual harassment against the WFI chief.
The Supreme Court has directed the Commissioner of Police to assess the threat perception against the minor complainant after the petitioners alleged that there was a threat to his safety. On April 21, the court allowed the Delhi CP to conduct a threat assessment against six other wrestlers who had lodged allegations against Singh with the police.
The court will take up the case on Friday as per its order.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP and WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh said in a video message on Thursday, “Instead of living such a life, I wish death would embrace him.”
“Friends, the day I think about my life, what I have gained or lost, the day I feel that I don’t have the strength to fight, the day I feel helpless, I don’t want to live that kind of life. I want death to embrace me for living that kind of life.” He said in the video.
The Indian sports fraternity on Friday threw its weight behind a protest by wrestlers led by a plea for “swift action” to ensure justice for Olympic gold medalist Neeraj Chopra.
Besides champion javelin thrower Chopra, ace boxer Nikhat Zareen, tennis star Sania Mirza, hockey player Rani Rampal, renowned former cricketers Virender Sehwag, Harbhajan Singh, Irfan Pathan, Madan Lal and Navjot Singh Sidhu also came out in support of the wrestlers.
The move comes after the opposition decided to step up its pressure on the ruling government and Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur to bring the protesters to justice.
It includes Sashi Tharoor, Mahua Moitra, Priyanka Chaturvedi, Mamata Banerjee, Brinda Karat, Arvind Kejriwal among others.
On Thursday, Indian Olympic Association president PT Usha said the protest by wrestlers on the streets of the national capital was ‘tarnishing India’s reputation as a nation’.
PT Usha’s statement drew a lot of backlash from protesters and protest wrestlers including Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia.
