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Delhi police files FIR, wrestlers hail ‘first step to victory’
The wrestlers, though, have indicated that they will continue their protest until Brij Bhushan is arrested.
Six days after India's elite wrestlers took to the streets demanding a First Information Report (FIR) be filed against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, Delhi Police agreed to lodge the FIR on Friday, bringing what the wrestlers termed their "first victory in quest for justice."
Appearing before a bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud and Justice PS Narasimha, the police, represented by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, stated, “The FIR will be registered today.” The protesting wrestlers and their supporters, tracking the development throughout the day on social media, broke into a loud cheer as soon as the news was made public.
Later in the day, two FIRs were lodged against Singh at the Connaught Place Police Station. The first FIR pertains to allegations levelled by a minor victim which is registered under POCSO Act along with relevant IPC sections concerning outraging of modesty etc. A second FIR was registered for carrying out comprehensive investigations into the complaints of others — adult complainants — under relevant sections, the Delhi Police said.
"It is the first significant victory in our long battle for justice. We would like to commend the honourable Supreme Court for keeping our faith alive in the judiciary," Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Bajrang Punia told a packed press conference.
The protesting wrestlers, along with seven complainants including a minor, had approached the Cannought Place police station last Friday to lodge an FIR against Singh but they were turned back after the police registered only a complaint. They began their sit-in on Sunday and moved the apex court earlier this week.
"We won't call off the dharna until Brij Bhushan is arrested," said Rio Games bronze medallist Sakshi Malik. "This (FIR) is only the first step. We are here for the long battle. We will decide our future course of action after an internal consultation."
The wrestlers reiterated their mistrust of Delhi Police and said that any proof pertaining to the alleged sexual harassment by Singh will be submitted only to the Supreme Court, and "not to some committee or Delhi Police."
"It took Delhi Police six days and the intervention of the country's highest court to agree to file an FIR. How can we trust them? Some people say that the report of the oversight committee had no proof of sexual harassment. I would like to say that we have enough proofs and we will share them only with the court," Vinesh Phogat, a multiple World Championships medallist, said.
"Singh has a long history of criminal offences. We can't have such a man running our sport. We want the strictest punishment for him. We also want his parliament membership to be dissolved," Phogat added. Singh is a six-time Member of Parliament from UP's Kaiserganj and belongs to the ruling Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP).
Speaking at the backdrop of a banner listing Singh's 38 criminal cases, Punia said, "As you can see, he has a long criminal past. We want security for the complainants and us." Punia and Phogat have repeatedly alleged attempts to intimidate them and the complainants.
Reacting to the FIR, Singh said he has full faith in the court and pledged co-operation with Delhi Police. "I have full faith in the judiciary. I am not running anywhere. I am in my house. I will cooperate with Delhi Police. I will follow whatever decision Supreme Court takes," Singh told ANI.
‘Police harassing us’
Later, Punia, in an Instagram live, complained that Delhi Police has snapped the power supply at the protest site. The police, he claimed, were also denying drinking water and food to be brought to the venue. “We are being denied basic electricity, food, and water,” he said.
Finding some support
Earlier, Tokyo Olympics gold medallist Neeraj Chopra led the bandwagon of athletes who took to Twitter to offer their support to the wrestlers.
Training in Turkey ahead of his next month's season-opener, Chopra said, "As a nation, we are responsible for safeguarding the integrity and dignity of every individual, athlete or not."
"What’s happening should never happen. This is a sensitive issue and must be dealt with in an impartial and transparent manner. Pertaining authorities must take quick action in order to ensure that justice is served."
Chopra's comments — coming a day after Beijing Games gold medallist Abhinav Bindra and six-time Winter Olympian Shiva Keshavan tweeted for the wrestlers — were followed by a glut of tweets from athletes across sports.
Cricketers Harbhajan Singh, Irfan Pathan, and Virender Sehwag, two-time world champion boxer Nikhat Zareen, and trailblazing tennis star Sania Mirza were among the prominent sportspersons who tweeted.
"I would like to thank every sportsperson who has supported us. Both of our individual gold medallists at the Olympics have tweeted in our support, probably because they understand the pain of athletes," Punia said.
Phogat called on other athletes who may have been subjected to sexual harassment to "come forward and join our protest."
"This sit-in is not for wrestling alone. We need to weed out people like Singh from every sport. I urge my fellow athletes who may have faced such harassment to gather courage and join us," she added.
