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“Protest will continue”: Wrestlers demand arrest of federation chief

April 28, 2023
Bharat Times

Wrestlers are sitting on a dharna at Jantar Mantar in Delhi.

New Delhi:
India’s top wrestlers on Friday said they will continue their sit-in in New Delhi demanding the “immediate arrest” of the federation chief accused of sexually assaulting several women athletes despite assurances of police action.

Here are 10 latest developments in the case:

  1. “We respect the Supreme Court order, but we do not trust the Delhi Police. This fight is not for FIR. This fight is to punish people like him. They need to be in jail and stripped of their portfolios,” the Delhi Police told the Supreme Court as it filed a case against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the influential chief of the Wrestling Federation of India, today.

  2. Among the wrestlers protesting at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar are stars like Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia. He had approached the Supreme Court for an urgent hearing on his request to register a case against Wrestling Federation of India chief and BJP MP Mr. Singh. On the request of the wrestlers, the Supreme Court had issued a notice to the Delhi Police, alleging that no case had been registered on their allegations.

  3. A bench headed by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud said, “Serious allegations have been made in the petition regarding sexual harassment by wrestlers representing India in international sports. The matter needs to be considered by this court.” “

  4. Brij Bhushan Singh, who has denied allegations of sexual misconduct and indicated that he would fight hard to prove his innocence, released a video yesterday saying that the day he felt helpless, he would die. Would like to hug

  5. “Friends, the day I reflect on what I have gained or lost and feel that I no longer have the strength to fight, the day I feel helpless, that day I will wish for death because I do not want that kind of life. Will live. To live such a life, I want death to take me in its embrace,” the accused wrestling body chief said in the video.

  6. The protesting wrestlers have also sought time from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss the allegations against their party’s MP. “PM Modi sir talks about ‘Beti Bachao’ and ‘Beti Padhao’, and listens to everyone’s ‘Mann Ki Baat’. Can’t he listen to our ‘Mann Ki Baat’?” Olympian Sakshi Malik said in a recent media interaction, referring to the PM’s monthly radio programme.

  7. Indian Olympic Association chief PT Usha criticized the public protest by the wrestlers. Stating that his protest amounted to “indiscipline”, he said that he should wait for the report of a committee that is looking into his allegations.

  8. The protesting wrestlers said they were hurt by Ms Usha’s statement and were looking to her for support. Asian Games medalist Vinesh Phogat alleged that she had even called him to discuss the matter, but he did not answer her calls, hinting that she might be “under some sort of pressure”. .

  9. Sports Minister Anurag Thakur, who set up a committee to probe the allegations, had said yesterday that the government stood by the players and he himself spoke to the protestors for 12 hours. The committee submitted its report on April 5, but the ministry is yet to make its findings public.

  10. Wrestler Brij Bhushan took to the streets for the first time in January with his allegations against Sharan Singh and other coaches, but withdrew his protest after Mr Thakur’s assurance. They returned to the capital city with fresh protests this week, alleging that no action had been taken on their allegations.