NEW DELHI: BJP leader and former wrestler Babita Phogat, who was part of the Oversight Committee probing the sexual harassment allegations against outgoing WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, had opposed the final report submitted by the panel.
“… The way the probe was conducted by the Oversight Committee was against my conscience,” Phogat had said in a hand-written letter in Hindi, which was part of the chargesheet filed by Delhi Police on June 15. The Oversight Committee was headed by MC Mary Kom, Khel Ratna's awardee. Initially, it had four members — Yogeshwar Dutt, Trupti Murgunde, Radhica Sreeman and Crd (Retd) Rajesh Rajagopala. Babita Phogat’s name was included later.
The government-formed panel had given multiple recommendations to address complaints of sexual harassment of women sportspersons. In one of the recommendations, the committee had asked the WFI to ensure that victims and witnesses of sexual harassment cases are not discriminated against.
“Apart from the related parties, no independent witness was contacted who might have either confirmed or denied the allegations levelled by the victim wrestlers,” Phogat said in the letter. She stated that even with
regard to financial mismanagement, no documentary evidence was provided to the committee. “The proceedings became a mere formality,” her statement in the chargesheet read.
Phogat alleged that she was not even allowed to read the committee’s final report. “I am not well versed in English and had requested them to provide the report in Hindi but nothing was done in that regard,” she stated.
Brij Bhushan gets bail
The Rouse Avenue Court in the city on Thursday granted regular bail to outgoing WFI chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and suspended WFI assistant secretary Vinod
Tomar in the alleged sexual harassment case moved by a group of female grapplers.