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Wrestlers suspend protest till June 15 after meeting sports minister Anurag Thakur
The wrestlers and the government also agreed on a raft of other issues, including withdrawal of all criminal cases against the wrestlers
New Delhi India’s top wrestlers suspended their protest against sexual harassment till June 15 after a six-hour-long meeting with Union sports minister Anurag Thakur on Wednesday, marking the first sign of resolution in the months-long deadlock in talks between the players and the government amid indications that options were narrowing for former wrestling federation boss Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
Read here: ‘WFI’s Brij Bhushan didn't sexually harass my daughter': Minor wrester's father makes U-turn
Wrestlers Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik, Satyavrat Kadian along with some of their coaches met Thakur at his residence and later said that they were satisfied with the talks and withdrew their protest till June 15, by when a charge sheet against Singh will be filed. Singh is facing two first information reports (FIRs) alleging sexual harassment, one by a group of six women wrestlers and another by a minor complainant.
“It’s a very positive development and everyone was understanding with each other. We want them to be back on the mat as soon as possible for the Asian Games and the Olympics,” Thakur told HT after the meeting.
The wrestlers and the government also agreed on a raft of other issues, including withdrawal of all criminal cases against the wrestlers, setting up of an Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) within Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) with a female chief, security for the complainants, removal of Singh and his associates from WFI, scrapping of cases against affiliated academies, coaches and athletes, and transparent elections to WFI by June 30. HT has seen a copy of the list of wrestlers’ demands that the sports ministry agreed on.
The meeting, which began at around 11am and ended by 5pm, was termed “successful and positive” by Thakur.
“I extended an invitation to wrestlers on behalf of the government yesterday. The discussions happened on a lot of sensitive issues in a very conducive environment. The talks were very positive and our meeting went on for about six hours,” Thakur later told reporters.
“Police will file a charge sheet by June 15 and WFI elections will be held by June 30. The wrestlers demanded an Internal Complaints Committee be formed within WFI and its president should be a woman,” Thakur said.
The meeting is a welcome development after months of logjam between the government and the wrestlers. The positive signs from both sides showed that a resolution was likely soon in what is a very important year for Indian sport.
Read here: Anurag Thakur shares main points discussed with wrestlers during 6-hour-long meet
Singh, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) parliamentarian from Kaiserganj who has lorded over 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, he is yet to be arrested.
The minor complainant withdrew her allegations before a magistrate on Monday. Her father told HT on Wednesday that he had also recorded fresh statements denying his earlier charges.“We have no grudge against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. We had recorded fresh statements on June 5 and we changed a few of our earlier statements. I am a father of a girl and I don’t want to get involved in this fight. I had not withdrawn the complaint but recorded fresh statements. In anger, we had levelled some false allegations. My daughter had faced some issues but all those mentioned in the FIR were not true,” he added.
Delhi Police said all the evidence – technical, digital and manual – was being thoroughly examined. Police officials said the statements of 18 people were recorded on Wednesday, taking the total number of people whose statements were taken to 202.
“These 202 persons include people known to the accused as well as the complainants. The list of people questioned also included the family, friends, associates and colleagues of Singh and the complainants, from different places in Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. We are now examining the technical, digital and manual evidence related to these complaints. It will help us in proving the criminality of the accused,” said a senior Delhi Police officer, asking not to be named.
A second investigator said that the probe was reaching its concluding stage. “We’ve recorded the statements of almost all the people concerned with this case. The electronic evidence is being examined at the forensic laboratories. Once the investigation is completed, we’ll file the charge sheet in these cases,” the second officer added.
Thakur also agreed to the wrestlers’ wish of ridding WFI of Singh’s family and associates.
“Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, whose tenure as WFI president has ended, and people associated with him will not be part of the new WFI. The women wrestlers who have filed the police complaint will get security, if needed. Cases against wrestlers and their supporters will also be dropped,” Thakur said.
Wednesday’s developments mean a proposed wrestlers’ mahapanchayat on June 11 stands indefinitely postponed.
Read here: ‘No protest till June 15,’ say wrestlers after meeting with Anurag Thakur
“Government has assured us that the police investigation will be completed before June 15. We have requested that all FIRs against wrestlers should be taken back and he has agreed to it. If no action is taken by June 15, we will continue our protest,” Punia was quoted as saying by ANI.
