The Delhi Police have stated that they have not found sufficient evidence yet to arrest Brij Bhushan Singh, the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief, amidst allegations of sexual harassment made by several women wrestlers. The police emphasized that there is currently no supportive evidence to substantiate the wrestlers’ claims. This development comes after Olympic medallists Sakshi Malik, Bajrang Punia, and Asian Games gold medallist Vinesh Phogat staged a protest against the alleged inaction against Brij Bhushan Singh.
Top sources within the Delhi Police revealed that no substantial evidence has been found thus far to warrant the arrest of Brij Bhushan Singh. The police officials clarified that within 15 days, they will submit their report to the court, either in the form of a chargesheet or a final report. They also mentioned that the addition of sections under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act in the First Information Report (FIR) carries a maximum punishment of less than seven years, which prevents immediate arrest as demanded by the accused. The police stated that Singh neither influenced witnesses nor tampered with evidence.
In response to the alleged sexual harassment allegations against Brij Bhushan Singh, prominent wrestlers, accompanied by hundreds of supporters, gathered at Har ki Pauri in Haridwar. Olympic medallists Sakshi Malik, Bajrang Punia, and Asian Games gold medallist Vinesh Phogat expressed their dissatisfaction with the perceived inaction against the WFI chief. The wrestlers threatened to immerse their World and Olympic medals in the holy river, Ganga, as a symbolic gesture of protest.
Amidst the protest, influential leaders from various Khap and farmer organizations intervened, urging the wrestlers not to take such an extreme step. After spending an hour and 45 minutes at Har ki Pauri, the wrestlers returned, agreeing to give five days for their grievances to be addressed. The wrestlers’ protest gained support from representatives of different khaps hailing from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Delhi, who plan to participate in a mahapanchayat to determine the next course of action.
In response to the wrestlers’ threat of discarding their medals, Brij Bhushan Singh asserted that the charges against him are already being investigated by the Delhi Police. He stated that if there is any truth to the allegations, an arrest will be made. The WFI chief clarified that the wrestlers’ decision to immerse their medals in the river was a stand taken by them, and he awaits the outcome of the ongoing police investigation.
