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WFI's Brij Bhushan touched inappropriately, 2 wrestlers tell Delhi Police: Report
Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh said he will hang himself even if a single allegation of sexual harassment by wrestlers is proven.
Two adult women wrestlers have lodged formal complaints against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the president of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) and a BJP MP, alleging multiple incidents of sexual harassment and misconduct.
These incidents, which occurred during tournaments, warm-ups, and even within the WFI office in New Delhi, involve actions such as groping, inappropriate touching, and unwarranted physical contact. The complaints, filed on April 21 at the Connaught Place police station in New Delhi, document a minimum of eight separate incidents, The Indian Express reported.
These have been documented in allegations made against Brij Bhushan by the women wrestlers.
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The Indian Express report claimed that both complainants have described how the WFI chief allegedly touched their breasts and stomach inappropriately and sexually while pretending to check their respiratory patterns.
Out of the seven female wrestlers, two have come forward and have filed cases against Brij Bhushan.
Eight instances of sexual harassment were reported; they occurred at a restaurant, an office, a competition, and a warm-up. The names of the two wrestlers haven’t been made public, the report added.
One of the two wrestlers alleged the WFI chief tried to grope her and touch her inappropriately when she was called to the office on two separate days. While he touched her thighs and shoulder on the first day, on her next visit two days later, Brij Bhushan touched her breast and stomach, saying he wanted to check her breathing pattern, the report claimed.
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It added that the second wrestler detailed her experience of having faced similar situations as the first wrestler. In her complaint to Delhi Police, she alleged that in an incident that took place in 2018, Brij Bhushan lifted her training jersey without her consent and proceeded to touch her breast and stomach on the pretext of checking her breathing pattern.
“The first FIR has been registered under the POCSO Act along with relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). It was filed based on the allegations of a minor. The second FIR was registered for a comprehensive investigation into the complaints by other complainants under relevant sections pertaining to outraging of modesty,” the Delhi Police had said in a statement.
Rejecting the claims by the wrestlers, Brij Bhushan on Sunday said he will hang himself even if a single allegation of sexual harassment is proven. In a video statement, he said he cannot openly discuss all issues since the matter is being probed by the Delhi Police and dared the aggrieved wrestlers to produce evidence corroborating the allegations.
Reacting to the report, Congres spokesperson Shama Mohamed, tweeted, “2 of the 7 women who have alleged sexual misconduct by Brij Bhushan Singh say that on the pretext of checking their breath, he groped them on their breasts & stomach. How vile can this man be! What's even more appaling is that the BJP & @narendramodi have put their full might behind this monster to protect him!”
Top wrestlers of the country, including Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik and Vinesh Phogat, are protesting for the last two weeks at the Jantar Mantar, demanding the sacking of Brij Bhushan as WFI chief and his arrest because of the alleged sexual harassment of women grapplers.
The Delhi Police stepped up security arrangements at Jantar Mantar and in border areas of the city as hundreds of farmers are expected to visit the protest site to extend support to the wrestlers.
Vehicles entering Delhi were being checked and pickets were increased at Delhi-Ghazipur, Tikri and Singhu borders.
The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) on Saturday announced a nationwide agitation in support of the wrestlers who have been protesting at Jantar Mantar against Brij Bhushan.
It said several senior leaders of SKM from Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and western Uttar Pradesh will visit Jantar Mantar on Sunday with hundreds of farmers.
