Sexual harassment case against WFI chief under consideration: Delhi Police

The sexual harassment case against Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh is under consideration and the status report of the investigation will be submitted to court, the Delhi Police said on Wednesday.

Earlier, police sources said the force had not found sufficient evidence in favour of the allegations levelled against Singh by female wrestlers and that it will submit the report within 15 days.

As the news came out in the media, the Delhi Police took to Twitter to say: “It is clarified that this news is wrong and the investigation into this sensitive case is under progress with all sensitivity.”

A public relation officer of the Delhi Police also shared the same message with reporters. After nearly an hour, the Delhi Police deleted its tweet. The PRO also removed the message she had shared in the official WhatsApp group for reporters.

Later, the PRO put another message in the group in Hindi that read: “The cases filed by women wrestlers are still under consideration. Status reports are being filed before the court regarding the investigation in the said cases.

“As the cases are under investigation, it would be against the procedure to say anything before the report is filed in the court,” the message read.

The wrestlers, who were protesting at Jantar Mantar here since April 23 demanding the arrest of Singh, were removed from the site by the police on Sunday after they tried to march towards the new Parliament building following its inauguration.

On Tuesday, the protesting wrestlers announced that they would immerse their medals in the Ganga river in Haridwar as a mark of protest to demand action against Singh. But they did not carry out the threat after farmer leaders sought five days’ time from them to resolve the issue.

Farmers’ outfit Samyukta Kisan Morcha on Tuesday called for nationwide demonstrations on June 1 in support of the wrestlers.

Meanwhile, Sports minister Anurag Thakur on Wednesday asked protesting wrestlers not to take any step that could undermine sports or hurt players and said appropriate action will be taken once the probe into their allegations is completed, a day after the grapplers threatened to immerse their medals in the river.

The minister also said the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) will hold elections and a new body will be elected soon.

The WFI president has stepped aside and the WFI is not taking any decision. The committee of administrators set up by the Indian Olympic Association is taking everyday decisions, Thakur said.

The minister urged the wrestlers to be patient and have faith in the Supreme Court, the Sports Ministry and Delhi Police, which is investigating allegations against the WFI’s former chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.

“I urge the wrestlers to be patient till the outcome of the investigation. I also urge them not to take any step that could undermine sports or hurt any sportsperson,” the minister said while replying to queries from reporters.

He stressed that his ministry had acted promptly on the wrestlers’ complaint and appropriate action would be taken once the probe is completed.

Thakur also listed steps taken by the government to “fulfil the hopes of players and help strengthen sports in the country”.