‘7 wrestlers, 1 minor sexually harassed by WFI Chief Brij Bhushan, no action yet’: Wrestlers protesting at Jantar Mantar

Having waited for three months, Star wrestlers again started their protest against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh on Sunday and said that they took the step after alleging that no action has been taken in the matter and said that the FIR has not been registered against WFI chief.

Ace India wrestler Sakshi Malik broke down while interacting with the media as wrestlers protest at Jantar Mantar. Top wrestlers Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia have resumed their protest against the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) at the Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. 

#WATCH | Delhi: Wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik break down while interacting with the media as they protest against WFI chief Brij Bhushan Singh pic.twitter.com/OVsWDp2YuA

— ANI (@ANI) April 23, 2023

"We wanted to file a sexual harassment FIR against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. Two days ago we got a complaint filed but FIR hasn`t been registered yet. There are 7 female wrestlers and one of them is a minor. We want the investigation to happen fast. It is a sensitive matter. We are being framed as liars which we cannot bear. We are waiting for two and a half months now but no one is listening. People are saying we are spent force that is why we are protesting. We just won a medal at CWG 2022," Sakshi Malik told the media at Jantar Mantar. 

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. "It is being heard that we are finished, that`s why we are protesting. For two and a half months the government has not taken any action. We cannot reveal the name of a minor. Otherwise, her name and career will get spoilt," she added.

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The grapplers protested against the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) in January this year. 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 (WFI) 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. Former wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt, former shuttler Trupti Murgunde, SAI member Radhica Sreeman, ex-CEO of the Target Olympic Podium Plan Rajesh Rajagopalan, and CWG gold medalist Babita Phogat are the other members of the Mary Kom-led committee.

But earlier in April, Punia had said that the wrestlers will go to court to protest against the report of the oversight committee appointed to investigate the matter and allegations put up by prominent Indian wrestlers against the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) and its president Brijbhushan Sharan Singh.

Speaking to ANI exclusively, Punia said, "I read an article in which one of the committee members said that the report has been submitted to the Sports ministry without his signatures. The member also expressed his/her disagreement with the report. If a committee member is not involved in report submission and disagrees with the report, how are we supposed to trust it?"

"We were not even informed that the report was submitted to the ministry," he added. Punia also said that WFI should make public the statements given by female wrestlers in a sting operation to a private TV channel if it feels it is innocent and also, people get to decide who is right or wrong.

The wrestler said that they (wrestlers) will start protesting once again and will even go to the high court as soon as possible."We have to carry on with our sport, but we will protest and go to the high court as soon as possible," said Punia. 

(with inputs from agencies)