Amid the ongoing stir demanding action against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, two FIRs filed before the Delhi Police by wrestlers alleged that he had inappropriately touched the women wrestlers on the pretext of checking their breath and groped them and also demanded sexual favours from them, reported The Indian Express.
The two FIRs – one combining complaints of six wrestlers, and a separate one based on the complaint of a minor wrestler’s father – were filed on April 28. The written complaints were filed on April 21.
Both the FIRs cite IPC Sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 354A (sexual harassment), 354D (stalking) and 34 (common intention) which carry a jail term of one to three years.
The First FIR also names WFI secretary Vinod Tomar as the accused, and the second FIR invokes Section 10 of the POCSO Act which entails five to seven years of imprisonment. The incidents allegedly took place between 2012-2022.
‘Groped me’: One of the wrestlers alleged
One of the wrestlers alleged that “one day while I was out for dinner in the hotel restaurant, the accused (Singh) called me separately to his dinner table…to my utter shock and surprise and without my consent, placed his hand on my breast and groped me and then slid his hand down to my stomach.”
“To my disbelief, the accused (Singh) did not stop there and again moved his hand upwards to my breast. He groped my breast and then slid down his hand to my stomach and then back to my breast repeatedly for 3-4 times,” the complaint by one of the wrestlers read, according to the FIR.
Another wrestler alleged, “To further fulfil his sexual intentions, he also tried to bribe me by offering to buy me supplements which I may require as an athlete in exchange for sexual favours.”
The sixth wrestler alleged that when his attempts were resisted, he threatened the person with not being chosen for future tournaments.
“On the pretext of getting a picture clicked with me, he pulled me towards him by my shoulder… to protect myself, I tried moving away from the accused (Singh)… Since I was not comfortable with the behaviour of the accused of forcing me, I, in order to escape, (his) clutches, repeatedly resisted his attempts and tried to push him away to which he (threatened): “Zyada smart bann rahi hai kya…aage koi competition nahi khelne kya tune?” (Acting too smart? You don’t want to be considered for tournaments in the future?),” the wrestler alleged, according to the FIR, as reported by IE.
Meanwhile, the minor’s complaint, filed by her father, read, “Holding her tightly, pretending to get a picture clicked, the accused (Singh) squeezed her towards himself, pressed hard on her shoulder and then deliberately…brushed his hands against her breasts.”
“She clearly told the accused (Singh) she had already told him that she was not interested in having any sort of physical relationship and that he should stop stalking her…,” it read, further adding that “sexual harassment by the accused (Singh) continues to haunt her.”
‘Will hang myself if proven guilty’: Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh
Meanwhile, the BJP leader continues to claim innocence. He said on Wednesday that if allegations against him are proven, he will hang himself.
“It’s been four months. They want me to get hanged. The government is not hanging me and so they are going to immerse their medals in the Ganga,” he said, while addressing a rally in Uttar Pradesh’s Barabanki.
“Immersing your medals in the Ganga won’t get me hanged. If you (wrestlers) have any evidence, present it to the Court and I am ready to accept any punishment,” he added.
His statement came after India’s top wrestlers, Sakshi Malik, Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat, deferred their plans to immerse their Olympic and world championship medals in the Ganges in Haridwar, following their two-hour protest where the tearful wrestlers were persuaded by farm leaders not to take the desperate step.