Delhi Police has sought a report from the probe committee set up by the Ministry of Sports to investigate the sexual harassment allegations against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, a senior officer said on Monday. The officer said that so far seven complaints have been received against the Wrestling Federation of India President and all of them are being investigated. An FIR will be registered after concrete evidence comes to light, he said.
“As part of inquiry, we have sought a report from the probe committee set up by Sports Ministry to look into the allegations of sexual harassment allegations levelled against WFI chief,” he said.
Several national medal-winning wrestlers have been protesting at Jantar Mantar demanding the government to make public the findings of the oversight panel that investigated the sexual harassment allegations against Singh.
Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur had announced the five-member oversight committee, headed by legendary boxer MC Mary Kom, to look into allegations against Singh, a BJP leader and a muscleman with criminal history.
All political parties are welcome: Bajrang Punia
Olympics medallist Bajrang Punia on Monday said all political parties were ‘welcome’ as top Indian wrestlers, including him, Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik, among others, returned to New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on Sunday to stage protests against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) and its president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh for allegedly sexually assaulting women wrestlers.
“All parties are welcomed, be it the BJP, Congress, Aam Aadmi Party or any other party. When we win a medal, we don't wave any party's flag but only the Indian flag. When we win medals, everyone. Not just one party comes forward to congratulate us, and neither are we affiliated with a single party. We are a part of this country and all Indians are welcome to join the protests. If we don’t fight for the women of the country then we can't fight against anything,” Punia told reporters at the protest site.
#WATCH | Delhi: "This time, all parties are welcome to join our protest whether it is BJP, Congress, AAP or any other party.....we're not affiliated with any party...": Bajrang Punia, Olympic medalist on wrestlers' protest against WFI chief Brij Bhushan Singh pic.twitter.com/g2i8T0TaAS
— ANI (@ANI) April 24, 2023
Punia’s comments had come after CPI(M) Leader Brinda Karat, who had come to support the wrestlers’ protest in January, was asked to step down from the stage. The wrestlers had then maintained that they did not want to make the protests political. It was then said that no politicians would be allowed to speak on the stage.
Punia had then said, “We don’t want the protest to take a political shape”.
(with ANI inputs)
