NEW DELHI: Hours after the Delhi police informed the Supreme Court that an FIR (First Information Reports) will be registered against the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, two FIRs were registered against the BJP leader in connection with sexual harassment allegation made against him by women wrestlers.
Two FIRs have been registered at the Connaught Place police station on the complaints lodged by female wrestlers, PTI quoted a senior police officer as saying.
The first FIR pertains to allegations levelled by a minor that has been registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act along with relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code concerning outraging modesty, he said.
The second FIR has been registered for carrying out comprehensive investigations into the complaints by adult complainants under relevant IPC sections pertaining to outraging of modesty, the officer said, adding that investigation into both the FIRs was being taken up in right earnest.
The FIRs were filed hours after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for Delhi Police, told a Supreme Court bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice P S Narasimha that a case will be registered on Friday.
The apex court bench is hearing a plea filed by seven women wrestlers on non-registration of an FIR on their sexual harassment allegations against Singh.
Meanwhile, reports said that the sexual harassment dates back to 2014. A physiotherapist at Sports Authority of India’s (SAI) women wrestling camp in Lucknow claimed that women wrestlers were being sexually harassed even then by the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who is also a BJP MP.
The petitioners demanded that the BJP MP, who has been wrestling body chief since 2012, be removed from all the positions he holds.
Electricity, water supply disconnected at Jantar Mantar
The top wrestlers have been protesting at Jantar Mantar demanding justice for them. The stoic silence of the Centre on the issue has triggered outrage against the government on social media.
On Friday night ace wrestler Bajrang Punia, in a late-night video message claimed that Delhi Police has disconnected the electricity and water supply at the iconic Jantar Mantar protest site.
"See this is the pressure on Delhi Police even as the whole country is standing with us," Punia said in a live video message through Instagram.
Recap
Top Indian wrestlers, including Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat, Ravi Dahiya, and Sakshi Malik, held a sit-in protest in Jantar Mantar in January this year, demanding that Brij Bhushan be removed from the head office and Wrestling Federation of India be disbanded. They had accused the body and its chief of sexual harassment and mistreatment of wrestlers.
Following the protest, in January, the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports announced the formation of an 'oversight committee' to probe allegations levelled against the Wrestling Federation of India and its chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and other coaches. The committee was given the task of submitting a report on the issue to the ministry.
Olympic medalist Mary Kom is heading the Oversight Committee.
Bajrang Punia said on Sunday that the reason why wrestlers are protesting once again is that nothing has been done so far to resolve their issues and that the wrestlers are here to save wrestling.
Meanwhile, the wrestlers said their protest will continue until Brij Bhushan is put in jail.
(With inputs from PTI, Online Desk.)