Wrestlers back at Jantar Mantar with sexual harassment complaint, FIR yet to be filed
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New Delhi: Indian wrestlers including Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia, and Sakshi Malik are back with their protest against sexual harassment of women in the field. An FIR has not yet been filed even though the sportswomen raised the complaint in January. They are now protesting at Delhi's Jantar Mantar with a fresh police complaint.
The top female wrestlers led a protest against the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief and other trainers. Seven have so far filed complaints against federation chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh at the Connaught Place police station in Central Delhi.
The Delhi Commission for Women issued a notice to Delhi Police for failing to register an FIR. The wrestlers had complained to the Commission that they gave a written complaint to the Delhi Police two days ago but no FIR has been registered so far.
DCW chief Swati Maliwal said that the complaint informed that several women wrestlers including a minor have accused the official of sexual harassment. She added that some of the complainants and their family members have started getting phone calls enquiring about their identities.
In January, the wrestlers said they did not want to take the legal route because they had faith in the Prime Minister. They also said that if the government does not take action, they will go to the police. Now, they said the talks at the Sports Ministry were not satisfactory. The meeting was brokered by BJP member Olympian Babita Phogat. Sports Minister Anurag Thakur also met the wrestlers and called the allegations "serious".
Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh who is now a BJP MP has refuted the allegations. The 66-year-old earlier told ANI that the sexual harassment allegations are false and that if they are found to be true, he will commit suicide. The federation also claimed that the athletes protesting have a hidden agenda.
A government panel has been formed to probe the issue and a report is awaited. Singh said he will not contest for the WFI president's post on May 7 but may look for a new role within the federation. However, this is because he has completed three four-year terms in a row and the Sports Code says he is ineligible after 12 years.
The six-member oversight committee is headed by legendary boxer MC Mary Kom. Formed on January 23, it was asked to submit findings in one month but later the deadline was extended by two weeks. Babita Phogat was later added to the panel after the protesting wrestlers insisted.
The report was submitted in the first week of April but the ministry hasn't made the findings public. Sources claim that the wrestlers could not prove the allegations.