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Security of complainants in case against Brij Bhushan removed? ‘A misunderstanding’, says Delhi Police
Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik, who had spearheaded a wrestlers' protest against Brij Bhushan, claimed that the complainants' security had been withdrawn.
Wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik, in identical posts on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) claimed on Thursday that Delhi Police have removed security cover of three female wrestlers, complainants in the sexual harassment case against ex-Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
The trio of Phogat, Malik, and fellow grappler Bajrang Punia, had spearheaded a wrestlers' protest in Delhi against Singh, the-then WFI chief accused by several women grapplers, including minors, of sexual abuse. A member of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Singh has repeatedly denied the allegations.
“Delhi Police have withdrawn security of female wrestlers who will testify against Brij Bhushan,” Phogat and Malik wrote on their respective X handles, tagging police, Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) and National Commission for Women (NCW).
Earlier, in a statement through their legal team, the complainants, of whom one will appear in the Rouse Avenue Court on Friday, alleged removal of their security cover.
Issuing clarification on the matter, police said that the security cover of the complainants had not been withdrawn, adding that the Personal Security Officers (PSOs) assigned to the concerned wrestlers reported late for duty because of a ‘misunderstanding.’
In May, the court had ordered framing of charges against the Uttar Pradesh strongman, observing there was ‘sufficient material’ for him to be charged for sexual harassment.
At the recent Paris Olympics, Phogat suffered a heartbreak, as she was found overweight ahead of her gold medal bout, resulting in her disqualification. Her appeal in the Court for Arbitration of Sport (CAS) was rejected.
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On the other hand, Malik, who won bronze at the Rio Olympics in 2016, retired in December last year to protest the election of Sanjay Singh, a close associate of Brij Bhushan, as WFI president.
