Wrestlers’ Protest: Delhi Police Team Visits Residence of WFI Chief, Quizzes Supporters

NEW DELHI: A team from the Delhi Police on Tuesday was reported to have paid a visit to the residence of BJP MP and Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh in Uttar Pradesh’s Gonda.

It has been reported that the statements of at least 12 people were recorded by the police team, with regard to the serious sexual harassment charges that have been levelled by the wrestlers against Singh. The police had also spoken to several supporters of the WFI chief, the reports said.

The police reportedly collected the names and addresses and the identity cards of the people who provided police with their statements for purpose of evidence.

However, it was not made clear as to whether the police questioned Brij Bhushan at his home.

The Delhi Police had earlier, on April 28, registered two FIRs against Singh after the Supreme Court passed an order to that effect. Based on a complaint of sexual harassment by the father of a minor wrestler, one of the FIRs was registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. If convicted under the POCSO Act, an accused would have to undergo a jail term of up to seven years.

Brij Bhushan has also been charged under several sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) in connection with the allegations against him.

Almost 140 people have been questioned till now by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) in its efforts to probe the sexual harassment allegations against the WFI head, who is still refusing to resign from his post, even though the wrestlers and their supporters organised a prolonged protest against him for several weeks.

Meanwhile, a ‘khap mahapanchayat’ was held on Friday (June 2) and demanded the arrest of Singh. The government was also given a deadline till June 9 to take steps on its demand.

Following the Khap Mahapanchayat, prominent Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait stated that WFI chief Brij Bhushan Singh ought to be arrested.

He said the government was being given time till June 9 to act on their demand, failing which the agitation would be made more intense and such panchayats would be held across the country, while the wrestlers would go back to Jantar Mantar in Delhi to resume their protest.

Along with the farmer outfits holding a Khap Mahapanchayat in Uttar Pradesh, a series of protests were also organised in Punjab and Haryana on Thursday (June 1), to display their solidarity with the wrestlers accusing Singh of sexual harassment of female grapplers, including a minor.

Singh has denied all the charges made against him.

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