NEW DELHI: On a day when the support for the protesting wrestlers swelled, Delhi Police on Wednesday said that its probe involving Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh in sexual harassment cases is still in progress, refuting reports that sufficient evidence was not found to arrest him.
“The cases filed by women wrestlers are still under consideration. Status reports are being filed before the court,” said a senior Delhi Police officer. Curiously, the police had from its official Twitter handle stated that media claims were wrong, but deleted the tweet later.
Singh is facing two cases of sexual harassment, one of them on a complaint by a minor, under the POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) Act. But a man claiming to be the uncle of the minor sought to demolish her charges, alleging she was not a minor. He alleged that Singh was being framed.
Then came a statement from Delhi Commission for Women’s chairperson Swati Maliwal, who said it was a criminal offence to reveal the identity of the minor victim. Sports Minister Anurag Thakur urged the wrestlers not to take any step that could undermine sports or hurt players, adding action will be taken once the probe is over.
Meanwhile, the support for the grapplers is growing. Bhartiya Kisan Union leader Naresh Tikait has called a mahapanchayat in Muzaffarnagar on Thursday to discuss the wrestlers’ protest. In Kolkata, CM Mamata Banerjee took to the streets to protest the alleged manhandling of wrestlers after they tried to march towards the new Parliament building. She also participated in a rally. In Mumbai, MNS chief Raj Thackeray extended his support to the wrestlers and wrote to PM Modi asking him to pay attention to the protest.
Singh defiant
WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh said on Wednesday that if the charges against him by the wrestlers are proven, he would hang himself. The six-time BJP MP said, “If you (wrestlers) have any evidence against me, present it to the court and the police.”