Wrestlers' Protest: Delhi Police to register FIR against WFI Chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh in sexual harassment case
2 min read . Updated: 28 Apr 2023, 04:04 PM IST
PremiumSolicitor general Tushar Mehta informed the apex court that a First Information Report (FIR) would be registered against BJP leader and WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh today
A First Information Report will be registered against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh on Friday, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed the Supreme Court of India on Friday.
Following this development, the Delhi Police has agreed to register FIR on the women wrestlers’ plea of sexual harassment against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) President Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Delhi Police, told a bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice P S Narasimha that the FIR would be registered today.
"We have decided to register an FIR. It will be registered today," Mehta told the bench, which was hearing a plea filed by seven women wrestlers alleging non-registration of an FIR on their sexual harassment allegations against Singh.
The country's top wrestlers, including Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat, have been on a sit-in protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi since Sunday over the matter. They have been demanding that the government makes public the findings of the oversight panel that investigated sexual harassment allegations against the WFI chief.
The Supreme Court has directed the Commissioner of Police to assess threat perception of a minor complainant after petitioners placed material alleging danger to her safety. The Court also left it open for CP, Delhi to assess threat perception against six other wrestlers who made allegations against Singh to the police on April 21.
The Court will take up the matter next Friday for compliance of its orders.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP and WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh on Thursday in a video message said that “instead of living such life, he wish that death embraces him".
"Friends, the day I reflect on my life, what I gained or lost, the day I feel I don't have the strength to fight, the day I feel helpless, I won't like to live a life like that. Instead of living such a life, I would wish that death embraces me," he said in the video.
The Indian sporting fraternity on Friday put its weight behind the protesting wrestlers with Olympic gold medallist Neeraj Chopra leading the way with a plea for "quick action" to ensure that justice is served.
Besides champion javelin thrower Chopra, ace boxer Nikhat Zareen, tennis star Sania Mirza, hockey player Rani Rampal, renowned former cricketers Virender Sehwag, Harbhajan Singh, Irfan Pathan, Madan Lal and Navjot Singh Sidhu also came out in support of the wrestlers.
This move comes after the opposition also decided to amp up their pressure on the ruling government and Union Minister for Sports Anurag Thakur to bring the protesters to justice.
This included Shashi Tharoor, Mahua Moitra, Priyanka Chaturvedi, Mamata Banerjee, Brinda Karat, Arvind Kejriwal among others.
On Thursday, Indian Olympics Association President PT Usha stated that wrestlers protesting on the street of the national capital was ‘tarnishing the image of India as a nation’.
PT Usha's statement received a lot of backlash from opposition as well as protesting wrestlers including Vinesh Phogat, and Bajrang Punia.