Delhi court demands police status report on FIRs filed against WFI chief

A Delhi court requested a status report from the city police on Wednesday (May 10), regarding the FIRs filed against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the chief of the Wrestling Federation of India and a BJP MP, in relation to allegations of sexual harassment.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Harjit Singh Jaspal issues notice to the Delhi Police over a plea moved by the wrestlers seeking monitoring of the investigation and recording of the statement of the alleged victims before the court.

The court directed the police to file the report by May 12 when it will further hear the matter.

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The plea moved by the women wrestlers had sought a direction from the court to produce a status report on the investigation in the matter. The application claimed that nothing has been done by the police after the registration of FIRs on April 28.

“Police are not ready to conduct any inquiry. Not even the statement of the victims have been recorded before the court by the police,” it claimed.

The copies of two FIRs against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh were also produced in the court in a sealed cover. One FIR was registered under the POCSO Act in the matter of sexual harassment with a minor girl while another FIR has been registered for sexual harassment of other complainants.

The women wrestlers had approached the Supreme Court over the matter following which the FIRs were registered.

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Going by the Supreme Court order, statements of the victims ought to be recorded before the court within 24 hours of lodging of FIR, the counsel claimed, adding that the statements were recorded three days after the FIRs were lodged.

He claimed that it has been alleged that an officer in the Sports Ministry had called the husband of one of the victims and asked him to settle the matter. The counsel also alleged that another official of a state wrestling body had approached the coach and family of the victim to get the matter settled.

“That person said that the girls have made a mistake. He said meet Neta ji, he will settle the matter,” the counsel claimed.

The country’s top wrestlers, including Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik and Vinesh Phogat, resumed their sit-in protest at Jantar Mantar on April 23, demanding the arrest of the Wrestling Federation of India president.

(With agency inputs)