New Delhi: The top Indian wrestler, who had earlier this year protested against the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief and other trainers accusing them of sexual harassment of women wrestlers, has filed a fresh police complaint and has once again come out for a protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar.
Seven women wrestlers have lodged a complaint of sexual harassment against federation chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh at Connaught Place police station in central Delhi.
Wrestler Sakshi Malik said an FIR is yet to be registered based on the complaint. Malik said she was disappointed that the report of a government panel on the issue has not yet been made public. “We want the report, in which statements of women wrestlers have been recorded, to be made public. It is a sensitive issue, one of the complainants is a minor girl,” she said, adding that the names of the complainants should not be leaked.
“We will not leave until Brij Bhushan is arrested,” said another senior wrestler Bajrang Punia, adding that despite repeated attempts, there has been no response from the government. “Until we get justice, we will sleep and eat here. We have been trying to get in touch with them (Sports Minister Anurag Thakur and other concerned officials) for three months.
The committee members are not responding to us. The Sports Ministry also did not say anything. They don’t even pick up our phones. We have won medals for the country and have put our careers at stake for it.”
On January 23, the Sports Ministry had constituted a five-member monitoring committee headed by ace boxer MC Mary Kom and asked it to submit its report within a month. Later, the deadline was extended by two weeks and on the request of the protesting wrestlers, Babita Phogat was included as the sixth member in the inquiry panel.