It’s time for some hard calls, indicate wrestlers
The Delhi Police charge sheet against former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and his aide and former WFI assistant secretary Vinod Tomar is disappointing and may force the wrestlers to take some hard calls in the next couple of days, one of the protesting wrestlers said on Thursday.
Singh was charged under sections 354 (assault or criminal force with intent to outrage modesty), 354A (sexual harassment) and 354D (stalking) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Tomar was charged under IPC sections 109 (abetment), 354, 354A, and 506 (criminal intimidation). None of the sections warranted the immediate arrest of Singh, a key demand of the protesting wrestlers. “We may have to take some hard calls in a day or two. For now, we have decided to put our protest on hold,” Rio Olympics bronze medallist Sakshi Malik told HT.
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Later, speaking to ANI, she said, “The charge sheet clearly states that Singh is guilty but our lawyer has filed an application so that he gets his hands on the chargesheet at the earliest and we can find out the charges. After that, we will see whether those charges are correct or not. Our next step would come once we see everything — whether the promises that were made are being fulfilled or not. We are waiting.”
A second protesting wrestler said they wanted to read the 1,082-page charge sheet first.
“We don’t want to comment on the charge sheet without reading it fully. We need some time to fully comprehend the charges,” said a prominent international wrestler, asking to not be named.
Malik, Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Bajrang Punia, and double World Championship medallist Vinesh Phogat are leading the protests against Singh. They had suspended their stir after meeting sports minister Anurag Thakur on June 7 until June 15. The wrestlers also met union home minister Amit Shah late on June 3.
The 66-year-old Singh was facing two FIRs – one filed by six women athletes and another by a minor, who later changed her statement before a district magistrate. The charge sheet was filed in the first case and a cancellation report in the second. Delhi Police told a local court that it found no corroborative evidence in the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) case.
Asian Championships silver medallist Jitender Kumar, one of the protesters and Punia’s sparring partner, said the group anticipated a watered-down charge sheet after the minor complainant’s father changed his statement.
“We are disappointed. Ever since the minor’s father backed out, we knew the charges would be diluted. It will be a long battle. We wanted to send Singh behind bars,” he said. “We will study the charge sheet, consult our legal team, and then decide on the course of action,” he added.
Singh remained unavailable for comment but people close to him said the former WFI boss was “relaxed and unruffled”. “This had to happen as all the charges levelled against our president were baseless and it was a conspiracy to malign his image in sports and politics. We all were confident that he will get a clean chit,” said Prem Mishra, secretary of the UP Wrestling Association that is headed by Singh.
The wrestlers had previously said that if Singh was not arrested by June 15, they would hit the streets again. They may also take out a protest march in the next few days, and meet prominent khap and farm leaders to strategise, said a person aware of developments.
Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) also threw its weight behind the wrestlers and called the investigation biased. “Whatever the wrestlers decide, they will have our support. I don’t want to comment on the demand of Singh’s arrest. What can you do if the investigation is biased?” BKU spokesperson Rajesh Tikait said.
Members of WFI also said that they were mulling legal action against the wrestlers. “There will be some action, for sure. We are thinking of filing a defamation case. Let things cool down a bit first,” a person aware of developments in WFI said.
Keen on Asian Games
The protesting wrestlers — Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat, Satyawart Kadian and Sangeeta Phogat — have requested the Union sports ministry to hold the Asian Games final selection trials in August. The deadline to send entries to the Games organisers is July 15. “They need more time to work on their fitness and that’s why they have made this request,” said a person associated with the protesting wrestlers. As the trials have to be held in July, the wrestlers have proposed that their names can be sent as a second choices and if they beat the winner of trials in August, their names can be replaced.
With inputs from Avishek Roy
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