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Delhi HC plea for FIR against top wrestlers - by WFI chief's cook - withdrawn
Brij Bhushan has stepped aside as the WFI chief for the time being.
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A petition in the Delhi High Court seeking FIR against top wrestlers, including Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik, following a protest at the iconic Jantar Mantar in the national capital has been withdrawn. The demonstration was held for three days against Brij Bhushan, who was asked last week to step aside as the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief while an investigation against him concludes. The plea was filed by his cook Vicky in the court, seeking the first information report over "extortion and blackmailing by making allegations of sexual assault". This came days after a mega protest by the top wrestlers at Delhi's Jantar Mantar - which garnered huge support - was called off following assurances from the central government.
In the plea, the petitioner said that Vinesh Phogat started extorting and blackmailing Brij Bhushan fto from the post of president at Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) on the pretext of protest for sexual harassment on the wrestlers. He also said that "media has now transformed itself into Janata Adalat or ‘public court’ and started intervening in the proceedings of the court".
The matter was likely to come up for hearing later this week, however, the lawyer Shrikant Prasad said that the petitioner is withdrawing the plea due to the pressure. "I have spoken to the petitioner and he is not willing to take the petition forward due to the extreme pressure," the counsel said. On Twitter, Bhushan on Monday afternoon said that no plea was filed by him in the court. "I have not sought action against any individual or organization," he wrote in Hindi.
"The vital gap between the convict and accused is completely overlooked by the media by keeping at stake the cardinal principles of ‘presumption of innocence until proven guilty’ and ‘guilt beyond reasonable doubt," the plea read. Sangeeta Phogat, Suman Malik, Anshu Malik, and Bajrang Punia are among the other wrestlers that have been mentioned in the petition, which also names some media organizations.
On Sunday, the WFI's annual meet was called off in Uttar Pradesh where Bhushan was expected to speak. He has rejected all the claims against him. The central government, meanwhile, has suspended all the WFI activities.
"Centre has heard all players pertaining to allegations levelled against WFI. A tournament was stopped immediately, Additional secretary was sacked and an oversight committee will begin an impartial probe so that everything gets clear," Union Sports Minster Anurag Thakur told reporters on Sunday.
