Groping. Demanding sexual favours. Asking inappropriate personal questions. Stalking. These are some of the reported allegations made by female wrestlers against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, as listed in the two FIRs filed at Connaught Place police station, after the intervention of Supreme Court on April 28.
Reports state that Singh has been booked under IPC sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 354A (sexual harassment), 354D (stalking) and 34 (common intention). He has also been booked under Protection Of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
According to The Indian Express, the first FIR comprises allegations of six adult wrestlers and also names WFI secretary Vinod Tomar. The second FIR is based on the complaint of a minor’s father and also invokes Section 10 of the POCSO Act, which entails five to seven years of imprisonment.
The minor's father said when she won a gold medal at a championship in India, the accused, on pretext of taking a photo, “had forcefully pulled the girl towards him and held her so tightly that she couldn’t move or free herself from his grip”.
“Mr. Singh further deliberately slid his hand down her shoulder and brushed his hand against her breasts,” her father said, in the FIR, The Hindu reported.
Another wrestler, in the FIR, said Singh sexually assaulted her in August last year. “When I was training, the accused called me separately, to which I refused since the accused was also touching other girls inappropriately. However, he called me again, pulled up my t-shirt and touched my belly on the pretext of checking my breath.”
The wrestler also said that she informed PM Narendra Modi about the matter. “I informed the Prime Minister about the repeated sexual, emotional, physiological, physical trauma which was meted upon me and other female wrestlers by the accused, in conspiracy with his close aids to which, the Prime Minister reassured me that such grievances will be looked into by the Sports Ministry and I will shortly be getting a call from the Sports Ministry.”
Another wrestler said that the athletes would move around in groups to avoid running into Singh alone. “He used to forcefully, and against the wishes of the female athletes, try to separate them from their group and then ask inappropriate personal questions.”
Singh, meanwhile, has been refuting all allegations against him. “I am once again saying that if even if a single allegation is proved against me, I will hang myself," Singh recently said while addressing a programme in the Ramnagar area.
"I have lived wrestling day and night. Five of the seven Olympic medals (in wrestling) came to India during my tenure. The allegations levelled against me are baseless," the WFI chief had said.
The wrestlers, including Olympic medallists Sakshee Malikkh and Bajrang Punia and Asian Games gold medallist Vinesh Phogat, who were protesting at Delhi's Jantar Mantar since April 23 demanding Singh's arrest, were removed from the site by police on Sunday after they tried to march towards the new Parliament building following its inauguration. They were detained before being released later.
Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader and national spokesperson Naresh Tikait said that the farmers are ready to compromise with the government if Singh is arrested. The announcement was made at a Khap 'mahapanchayat' held in Shaoram village of Muzaffarnagar.
Tikait also said that the BKU shall meet the President and government representatives. “Any further decisions shall be taken at Kurukshetra tomorrow (Friday),” he said.
