Delhi Police seeks CCTV footage from 5 nations after FIR against WFI's Brij Bhushan
This comes as the Delhi Police is preparing to file a chargesheet in the court by latest June 15 in the case.
The Delhi Police has sent a notice to the wrestling federations of five nations seeking information, CCTV footage related to the allegations of sexual harassment by top Indian wrestlers against the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. The wrestlers in their FIR on April 21 alleged that they were harassed during tournaments in Indonesia, Bulgaria, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, and Kazakhstan.
While the notices were sent within a week of lodging the FIR against Bhushan, the matter, however, came to the fore recently.
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“We had written to different federations within a week of lodging the FIRs and some of them have even replied. I don’t know why this issue is being raked up again,” said a senior Delhi police official.
This comes as the Delhi Police is preparing to file a chargesheet in the court by latest June 15 in the case. Reportedly, the officials have recorded statements from over 200 people so far - including the protesting wrestlers, coaches, and referees. The police have also recorded statements of Bhushan's colleagues at the WFI.
Wrestlers asked to give ‘proof’ against Bhushan
Reportedly, the Delhi Police have asked two women wrestlers - who have Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who is also a BJP MP, of touching their breasts and stomach on the pretext of checking their breathing, to provide photographs, audio, and video as evidence to back their allegations. On Sunday, four of the six women athletes provided audio and visual evidence to corroborate their allegations.
Wrestlers protest
The wrestlers - who have been protesting against Singh since April 23 - are demanding his arrest over the sexual harassment charges. The wrestlers halted their stir after getting an assurance from sports minister Anurag Thakur on June 7 that a charge-sheet will be filed against Singh by June 15.
Meanwhile, the protesting wrestlers are sensing that the WFI chief won't be arrested anytime soon.