Wrestlers resume protest, demand making public the findings of the oversight panel

Wrestlers Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik, and others during their protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on April 23.
| Photo Credit: PTI

The country’s top wrestlers, including Sakshi Malik and Vinesh Phogat, returned to the protest site at Jantar Mantar on Sunday and demanded that the government makes public the findings of the oversight panel that investigated sexual harassment allegations against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.

The wrestlers also demanded that an FIR be lodged against the WFI chief, who has denied the allegations that first surfaced in January this year when grapplers had staged a ‘sit-in’ protest and demanded that federation be disbanded.

The six-member oversight panel, headed by M.C. Mary Kom, had submitted its report in the first week of April but the government has not yet made it public.

“We are tired of asking the government to release the findings. We have filed a complaint at a police station in Connaught Place and want an FIR to be filed against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh,” said Vinesh.

Meanwhile, the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief Swati Maliwal issued a notice to the Delhi police asking as to why an FIR had not been registered following the complaint submitted on April 21.

In a letter to the Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) Pranav Tayal, Ms. Maliwal said that the women’s body has received a complaint from one of the women wrestlers who have sought an FIR against Mr. Singh.

“She (the complainant) has informed the Commission that instead of an FIR being filed in the matter, some of the complainants and their family members have started getting phone calls enquiring about the identities of the complainants from an IPS officer posted in Department of Sports, MYAS (Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports),” Ms. Maliwal wrote.

Terming is a serious matter concerning the safety of female wrestlers, the DCW chief asked the DCP to submit by Tuesday 4 p.m. a copy of FIR in the matter, reasons for delay, details of accused persons arrested in the matter, details of action taken against the official who leaked the complainant’s information with the officials at the Department of Sports, MYAS, among other details.

The women’s body also sought a detailed action taken report in the whole matter by Tuesday.

When contacted, there was no response form the Delhi Police on the matter.

(With inputs from PTI)