Witnesses corroborate sexual harassment allegations against WFI chief: Report
At least four witnesses have corroborated the sexual harassment allegations leveled by at least three women wrestlers against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, reported The Indian Express. Those who affirmed the allegations reportedly included an Olympian, a Commonwealth gold medalist, an international referee, and a state-level coach. The victims had allegedly informed them of the incidents after their occurrences.
Why does this story matter?
This comes over a month after the Delhi Police registered two FIRs against Singh following the sexual harassment allegations, which the WFI chief has been denying outrightly. In January, many wrestlers demanded Singh's removal from the WFI's top position and an investigation into his conduct. After three months of inaction, wrestlers resumed their protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar but were removed from there later.
Wrestler alerted me about Singh's advances on phone: Wrestling coach
A coach for one of the complainants allegedly told the Delhi Police that the wrestler alerted him about Singh's advances on the phone six hours after they occurred, according to The Indian Express. The allegations by two complainants against Singh were also reportedly confirmed by two top women wrestlers—an Olympian and a Commonwealth medalist—who reportedly informed investigators they, too, were informed by the victims.
International referee on 'plight of women wrestlers'
TIE reported that a referee, a well-known official in the national and international tournaments, is reported to have admitted to the Delhi Police that he was aware of the "plight of the women wrestlers" as he frequently traveled for competitions both domestically and internationally.
'Cannot comment on investigation', says Delhi Police Spokesperson Suman Nalwa
In response, Delhi Police spokesperson Suman Nalwa said, "We cannot comment on the investigation in this case or what the evidence is." "The investigation is still going on. SIT has been probing the matter and will submit a report to the court," Nalwa added. Notably, there are at least 125 potential witnesses across four states whose statements have been recorded by the Delhi Police.
2 FIRs filed against WFI chief Singh
Following sexual harassment charges, the Delhi Police filed two FIRs against Singh on April 28 after the Supreme Court intervened. The cases include at least two instances of demanding "sexual favors" in lieu of professional assistance; 15 incidents of sexual harassment, including 10 episodes of inappropriate touching and molestation (running hands over breasts and touching the navel); and several instances of intimidation, including stalking.
SIT investigating allegations by women wrestlers
The cases are now being investigated by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Delhi Police. The team, which includes female police officers, has so far recorded the statements of 125 of the 158 persons on its witness list from Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Karnataka. The findings of the government-appointed Oversight Committee—chaired by boxer MC Mary Kom—have also been obtained by the police.
