Give photo, audio, and video proof: Delhi police issue notice to wrestlers

The Delhi Police have asked two women wrestlers who filed a sexual harassment case against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh – the president of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) and BJP MP – to produce pictures, videos, or WhatsApp chat messages to support their allegations. According to The Indian Express, this includes the photo of a 'hug' mentioned in the First Information Report (FIR), that Brj Bhushan allegedly gave to one of the complainants. Brij Bhushan has been accused of sexual harassment by at least seven wrestlers, including a minor. So far, two FIRs have been lodged against him.

On June 5, the two women wrestlers received separate notices from the police, invoking section 91 of the CrPC (Criminal Procedure Code), with a one-day deadline for their response. CrPC 91 notice gives the investigating officer the power to call for any document that is relevant to a case. According to one of the complainants, as detailed in the FIR, Brij Bhushan tightly hugged her for 10 to 15 seconds following her victory at an overseas tournament. To protect herself from unwelcome advances, the wrestler kept her hand close to her breast, The Indian Express reported. The Investigating Officer at the Connaught Place police station has specifically asked for a photograph of the incident when the hug occurred.

In a separate notice, one of the wrestlers and her relative has been asked to provide details about threatening calls they allegedly received after filing complaints against Brij Bhushan. The relative has been issued a separate notice, specifically seeking video recordings, photographs, call records, and WhatsApp chats related to the threatening calls.

Several top wrestlers, including Olympians, had been protesting at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar since April 23, demanding action against Brij Bhushan. The Delhi police detained them after they marched to the new Parliament building on its inauguration on May 28. Following this, the wrestlers announced that they would immerse their medals in the Ganga river in protest. The wrestlers have agreed to temporarily suspend their protest until June 15, following six hours of negotiations with Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur on June 7.

The police have now asked the wrestlers to provide specific details regarding the alleged incidents, including dates, times, and the duration of their visits to the WFI office. Furthermore, the police are seeking the names of their roommates and any other potential witnesses, particularly during their overseas trips. The police have also sought information about the hotel where one of the wrestlers stayed during her visits to the WFI office. The Oversight Committee established by the Union Sports Ministry in January had also called for audio and video evidence from the complainants.

Both wrestlers have accused Brij Bhushan of exploiting them on the pretext of checking their breathing patterns to engage in inappropriate touching and sexual harassment. One wrestler alleged that Brij Bhushan touched her breast and stomach during an overseas tournament in 2016 after summoning her to a table. She also alleged that she was groped on two occasions when she visited the WFI office at Brij Bhushan's MP bungalow premises on Ashoka Road.

The second wrestler, who received the police notice, alleged that during a warm-up session in 2018, Brij Bhushan lifted her training jersey without consent and touched her breast and stomach under the pretext of checking her breathing pattern. At the WFI office, Brij Bhushan allegedly dismissed others, after which he allegedly pulled her close and attempted to grope her. Brij Bhushan has consistently denied the allegations and claimed they are driven by political vendetta.