Brij Bhushan's associates quizzed in wrestlers' case

Delhi Police questioned the family, friends, associates and colleagues of former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh at his residences in Uttar Pradesh’s Gonda and Lucknow over the last three days, police officers aware of developments said on Tuesday, as the probe into allegations of sexual harassment by the strongman appeared to pick up pace.

Police have questioned 184 people so far, including 40 staffers of WFI, in connection with the complaints filed against Singh by some of India’s top wrestlers, said a senior police officer on the condition of anonymity. Four associates were questioned on Tuesday, the officer added.

“These 184 persons include people known to the accused as well as the complainants. We have also collected technical, digital and manual evidences related to these complaints,” said the officer.

Singh, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) parliamentarian from Kaiserganj who has ruled Indian wrestling for 12 years, is facing charges of sexual harassment of athletes, including at least one minor. Though he has been removed from WFI, which stands suspended, and two FIRs have been filed against him — one by six women complainants, and the other by a 17-year-old minor player — the wrestlers have demanded that he be arrested immediately.

The minor wrestler in the case withdrew her allegations in front of a magistrate on Monday, said a senior Delhi Police officer who didn't wish to be identified. “The minor victim recorded her statement again in front of a magistrate under CrPC section 164 in which she said that she had not been sexually abused by Singh,” said the Delhi police officer.

But the complaint filed by the minor victim’s father on her behalf has not been withdrawn. This meant, police officers said, that the Protection of Children Against Sexual Offences (Pocso) case against Singh wasn’t closed yet.

Under the law, the police will have to file a final investigation report before the court that could be in the form of a closure report or a charge sheet. The court can either accept the report submitted by the police or order further investigation into the matter.

The minor’s father has rubbished reports that his daughter has withdrawn the complaint. On Tuesday, wrestler Bajrang Punia — one of the three faces of the protracted stir — also backed the father. In an interview to news channel NDTV, he asked whether the country should believe the minor’s father, or “sources”.

Despite battling mounting pressure, Singh remained defiant. "I am right here, and if any agency wants to question me, I am ready to cooperate," he said at his residence in Delhi.

The 66-year-old is named in two FIRs, one filed by a 17-year-old girl and the other by six adults, all of who have detailed years of abuse and alleged that Singh offered to buy a wrestler supplements if she gave into his sexual advances, called a wrestler to his bed and hugged her, grabbed a minor girl's breasts, slid his hand down a woman's shirt and goaded wrestlers to spend time alone with him during most tournaments. According to one of the complainants, most women wrestlers would avoid leaving their rooms alone during tournaments and would largely stick together to keep the BJP MP's advances at bay.

A UP Police officer, who didn’t want to be identified, said that Delhi Police teams questioned at least three of Singh's employees in Lucknow while 12 of Singh’s associates and employees — including his driver, domestic help, security guard, and gardener — were quizzed in Gonda. “They were all asked about Singh’s working style, behaviour, and character,” the officer added, requesting anonymity.

While talking to reporters in Gonda earlier on Tuesday, Singh confirmed that Delhi Police had earlier questioned him twice for five-six hours each in Delhi. He added that the police team visited Gonda to record statements of his associates and employees.

"Netaji arrived in Delhi today (Tuesday) on his own accord. He has not been summoned by the police for questioning neither did any police team visit his residences today. A police team did visit Gonda and Lucknow to corroborate his statements on Sunday," a person close to Singh said.

"In one of the FIRs, a complainant had alleged molestation on Oct 16 and 17, 2017. Singh was in Lucknow on Oct 16 for a selection trial while he was in his constituency the next day and had already submitted the proofs to the police. The police team went to verify his claims," the person cited above added.

The Delhi Police officer cited above, however, said that Singh was questioned thrice and not twice. “We will be filing a chargesheet in this case in the coming days,” added the officer.

A second Delhi Police officer said that by speaking to Singh’s people, investigators were ascertaining his “antecedents” and whether he displayed any “abnormal or abusive behaviour” with women colleagues and staffers.

The second officer said that while Delhi Police teams were expected to return from Gonda and Lucknow by the early hours of Wednesday, this was not the end of the process. “In the coming days, we are likely to question a few more people and record more statements,” the officer added.

Delhi Police refused to comment officially on the issue. "No information can be shared about an under-investigation case at this moment," said spokesperson Suman Nalwa.

The months-long stir led by Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Bajrang Punia, Rio Games bronze medallist Sakshi Malik, and double World Championship medallist Vinesh Phogat has received support from top athletes and farm unions. The wrestlers camped at a protest site in Jantar Mantar for 36 days demanding Singh’s arrest until Delhi Police stopped a planned march to the new Parliament last month, manhandled them and detained them.

Late on Saturday, Punia, Malik, her husband Satyawart Kadian and around 4-5 coaches met Union home minister Amit Shah. In the meeting, according to the wrestlers, the players placed a string of demands, all of which were accepted except the last one – the immediate arrest of Singh. Shah’s office has not confirmed any such developments.

But the meeting hurt ties between the protesting wrestlers and farm unions, which were backing the stir and had announced a march to Jantar Mantar. The Bharatiya Kisan Union pulled back from the stir on Monday.

Protesting wrestlers will now hold a mahapanchayat on June 11 to discuss the way forward. Chaudhary Surender Solanki, president of the influential Palam 360 khap in Delhi, confirmed the development. "I had an hour-long meeting with Bajrang on Monday and it was decided that wrestlers will hold a mahapanchayat on June 11. Most likely, it will be held in Alwar or Jaipur in Rajasthan but we may consider Punjab too. We will be able to disclose more details in a few days," Solanki said. The unions joined the stir on a dramatic evening last week, when BKU chief Naresh Tikait convinced the wrestlers to not throw their medals in the Ganga as an act of protest.

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