"Matter is in Supreme Court, it will decide": Brij Bhushan Singh on wrestlers' allegations against him
Apr 25, 2023
New Delhi [India], April 25 : Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh on Tuesday did not directly reply to questions over protesting wrestlers' allegations against him and said the matter is pending in the Supreme Court.
Some prominent wrestlers, who have resumed their protest seeking registration of criminal case on their allegations against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, moved the Supreme Court on Monday.
"The matter is in the Supreme Court and the court will decide," Brij Bhushan Singh told media persons.
The wrestlers said they had resumed the protest as "no action has been taken in the matter".
Ace India wrestler Sakshi Malik broke down while interacting with the media as wrestlers protested at Jantar Mantar.
Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia are among those who have resumed their protest over their demands.
"We wanted to file a sexual harassment FIR against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. Two days ago we got a complaint filed but FIR hasn't been registered yet. There are seven female wrestlers and one of them is a minor. We want the investigation to happen fast. It is a sensitive matter. We are being framed as liars which we cannot bear. We are waiting for two-and-a-half months now but no one is listening. People are saying we are spent force that is why we are protesting. We just won a medal at CWG 2022," Sakshi Malik told the media at Jantar Mantar.
"It is being heard that we are finished, that's why we are protesting. For two and a half months the government has not taken any action. We cannot reveal the name of a minor," she added.
Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat, Ravi Dahiya, and Sakshi Malik, held a sit-in protest in Jantar Mantar in January this year, demanding that Brij Bhushan be removed from and Wrestling Federation of India be disbanded. They had accused the body and its chief of sexual harassment and mistreatment of wrestlers.
Following the protest, the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports had announced the formation of an 'oversight committee' to probe the allegations.
Olympic medalist Mary Kom is heading the Oversight Committee. Former wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt, former shuttler Trupti Murgunde, SAI member Radhica Sreeman, ex-CEO of the Target Olympic Podium Plan Rajesh Rajagopalan, and CWG gold medalist Babita Phogat are the other members of the Mary Kom-led committee.
