“No, I don’t have any permission. If you can please forward this letter to the PM’s because I can’t go inside. I am not protesting nor being aggressive” Punia said as he was stopped from entering the building.

It is crucial to highlight that Punia had also written a letter addressed to the Prime Minister upon which he kept the medal. As per a report of the Telegraph, Punia told the reporters that “I am putting my medal on the letter written to PM Modi. I will not take this medal back home”. Later, police officials could be seen picking up both the letter and the medal.

These steps are in protest to the election of Singh, who is a close aid and business partner of former WFI president and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who has been accused of sexual harassment by six women wrestlers. Through the protest by women wrestlers against Brij Bhushan, Punia was a constant supporter. With Singh being elected, the wrestlers have been emphasising that the culture of abuse and harassment of women wrestlers will continue. It is crucial to note here that Brij Bhushan himself had nominated Singh’s name for the election. 

Minutes prior to this, Bajrang Punia took to ‘X’ (formerly Twitter) to announce his decision of returning his Padma Shri award, which was conferred upon him in the year 2019. Punia has won multiple medals for India at the World and Asian Championships apart from the Asian Games. On social media, Punia wrote “I am returning my Padmashree award to the Prime Minister.” With his post, he also attached the letter that he wrote to the Prime Minister. “This is just my letter. This is my statement,” he wrote on his social media post. 

The open letter was written in Hindi, but has been translated to English for this article. Addressing it to the Prime Minister, Punia wrote “Respected Prime Minister, hope you are well. You will be busy serving the country. Amidst your busy schedule, I would like to draw your attention to our sport of wrestling.”

With this, Punia referred to the beginning of the protest by women wrestlers in the month of January, when the allegations of sexual harassment being levied against Brij Bhushan had come forth. He wrote “You must be aware that in the month of January this year, the women wrestlers of our country had made serious allegations of sexual harassment against Brij Bhushan Singh, who was in charge of the wrestling federation. When the movement started, I also joined it. The agitating wrestlers returned to their homes in January when the government assured them of taking concrete action. But even after three months, when an FIR was not filed against Brij Bhushan, we took to the streets again in the month of April, and protested asking the Delhi Police to at least register an FIR against Brij Bhushan Singh. But things still did not work out, so we had to go to court. We had to go and lodge an FIR.”

The Olympic medallist then refers to the pressure that the women complainants went through at the hands of Brij Bhushan. As stated in this letter, from the month of January to July, the number of complaints dwindled down to 6 from the initial 19. “In January, the number of women wrestlers (complainants) was 19, which came down to 7 by April. That is, in three months, with his power, Brij Bhushan Singh had repelled 12 women wrestlers in their fight for justice. The movement lasted for 40 days. In these 40 days, one female wrestler further retreated.”

Punia further refers to the pressure faced by the protestors at the hand of the administration, and writes “There was a lot of pressure on all of us. Our protest site was destroyed and we were chased out of Delhi and our protest was banned. When this happened, we had no idea what to do. That’s why we thought of shedding our medals in the Ganga. When we went there, our coaches and the farmers did not allow us to do so.”

Furthermore, Punia referred to the assurances given to them by the union Home Ministers and other ministers regarding future steps that will be taken against Brij Bhushan and his supporters, which they had trusted and put a paused to protests. In his letter, he wrote “At the same time, we received a call came from one of your responsible ministers and we were told to come back. That justice would be done. Meanwhile, we also met our Home Minister, where he assured us that he will support the women wrestlers in getting justice and will expel Brij Bhushan, his family and his henchmen from the Wrestling Federation. We accepted his advice and ended our movement from the streets, because the government would resolve the wrestling union and the fight for justice would be fought in the court. These two things seemed logical to us.”

Punia then refers to the election of Brij Bhushna’s loyalist as a victory for Brij Bhushan himself. He stated “But in the wrestling federation elections held on December 21, Brij Bhushan has once again won. He gave the statement that “there is dominance and there will be dominance.” A person accused of sexual exploitation of female wrestlers was again openly claiming his dominance over the body that manages wrestling. Under this mental pressure, Sakshi Malik, the only woman wrestler to win an Olympic medal, was forced to retired from wrestling.”

Speaking about the helplessness that the wrestlers feel, Punia wrote “All of us spent the night crying. We couldn’t understand where to go, what to do and how to live.”

Regarding his decision to return the award, Punia stated “The government and the people gave us so much respect. Should I continue to suffocate under the burden of this respect? In the year 2019, I was awarded the Padma Shri and was also honoured with the Khel Ratna and the Arjuna Award. I was very happy when I received these honours. It seemed my life had been successful. But today I am more unhappy than before and these honours are hurting me. There is only one reason. My fellow women wrestlers have to give up the sport of wrestling for their safety. The same sport which gave me this honour.”

Emphasising the role that women sports athletes play, Punia wrote “Sports had brought tremendous changes in the lives of our women players. Earlier, one could not even imagine that, in rural India, that boys and girls would be seen playing together in fields. But this could happen because of the courage of the first-generation of women players. Now you will see girls playing in every village and they are even going abroad to play.”

It is pertinent to highlight here that when the election results came to the forefront, pictures and videos showing Brij Bhushan wearing multiple garlands around his neck, being surrounded by men chanting his name and posing for the camera were floating around social media. Next to Brij Bhushan, the newly elected WFI president, an affiliate of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Sanjay Singh could be seen standing with a huge smile plastered on his face. Both Brij Bhushan and Singh could be seen flashing a victory sign at the cameras. Punia refers to the said pictures of Brij Bhushan and Singh, and states “But those who continue to dominate the sport, where even their shadow scares the women players have now completely taken over again. The photo of them with flowers and garlands around their necks must have reached you. The daughters who were to become the brand ambassadors of Beti Bachao Beti Padhao have been put in such a situation that they have to step back from their game.”

Referring to his dismay and helplessness, Punia states “We “respected” wrestlers could not do anything. I will not be able to live my life as a “respected” person after our female wrestlers were insulted. Such a life will torment me. That’s why I am returning this “honour” to you. Whenever we used to go to any program, the stage director would introduce us by calling us Padma Shri, Khel Ratna and Arjun awardee wrestlers and people would clap with great enthusiasm. Now if someone calls me like this, I will feel disgusted because despite having so much respect, a female wrestler was deprived of the respectable life that everyone wants to live.”

Punia ends the letter by stating that it is his hope that justice will one day prevail. He states “I have full faith in God, there is delay in his house but not darkness. One day justice will definitely triumph over injustice.”

He signs the letter by writing “Bajrang Punia, Asammanit Pehelwan (Disrespected wrestler)”

The letter can be accessed here:

मैं अपना पद्मश्री पुरस्कार प्रधानमंत्री जी को वापस लौटा रहा हूँ. कहने के लिए बस मेरा यह पत्र है. यही मेरी स्टेटमेंट है। pic.twitter.com/PYfA9KhUg9

— Bajrang Punia (@BajrangPunia) December 22, 2023

Last year, Union Home Minister had assured us to wait for 30-40 days after we told him everything about what Brij Bhushan was up to: Vinesh Phogat

A report of the Indian Express stated that Vinesh Phogat, who was also at the forefront of the protests along with Sakshi Malik, Sangeeta Phogat and Punia, referred to retiring or returning the award as the “final, desperate step” that any athlete can take.

“Bajrang, Sakshi and I were together just before the elections were taking place. We discussed the possibility of Sanjay Singh winning and Sakshi immediately said if that happened, she would not be able to continue wrestling. She broke down as she said that and looking at her, even Bajrang began crying,” Phogat was reported as telling The Indian Express.

As per the report, Phogat stated that the wrestlers felt let down by the government as they had promised to take action against Brij Bhushan and ensure neither his family members nor close aides would be a part of the federation, and yet Singh has not become the president of WFI.

According to the report, Vinesh then recalls the meeting that she and Punia had with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in 2022 after they had won the bronze medal at the World Championship. As per Phogat, “Bajrang and I met Home Minister Amit Shah at his official residence. It was just the three of us and Babita Phogat in that meeting. We informed him about everything that Brij Bhushan was up to. We even gave him the names of the girls who had been his victims. He asked us to wait for 30-40 days and told us not to worry about it.” Notably, Babita Phogat, a member of the BJP, had not supported the wrestlers in their protest against Brij Bhushan.

Phogat told the IE that the government kept giving them repeated assurances until they stopped answering their calls. Vinesh also said that they would not be engaging with the new WFI president Sanjay Singh as he considers Brij Bhushan as his “brother”. Referring to the garlanded pictures of Brij Bhushan, she said “Who is Sanjay Singh? Who was wearing garlands after the elections?” 

On her position regarding retiring from the sport, Phogat said that would retire, if at all, “on her terms”. As per the IE report, she asserted that “If I quit, it will be my decision not because of anyone’s dadagiri. We will continue our fight. Brij Bhushan’s ego is too big. But it’s the ego that will lead to his eventual downfall.” 

Related:

Wrestler Sakshi Malik quits wrestling as close aid of sexual harassment accused Brij Bhushan gets elected as president

Clear case of re-victimisation: Former SC judge Madan B Lokur on Delhi Police’s handling of women wrestlers case

Protesting wrestlers will resume stir, say govt not ready to arrest WFI chief by June 15

Mumbai: Silent protest organised to condemn the injustice meted out to women wrestlers

FIRs suggest wrestlers had informed PM about their repeated sexual trauma in 2021

The post Bajrang Punia returns Padma Shri, in open letter to PM Modi states “My fellow women wrestlers gave up sports for safety, that’s why I am returning this “honour” to you” appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Malik, along with wrestler Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat, addressed the media at the Press Club of India in New Delhi. Referring to the position that Singh holds with Brij Bhushan, Phogat said that “He (Sanjay Singh) is Brij Bhushan’s right-hand man. He is more special to him than his own son.” She further said that with Singh becoming the president of WFI, the culture of harassment and abuse of women wrestlers will continue. As per the report of the Indian Express, Vinesh said “Now that he is president, the coming batch of women wrestlers will also fall prey.”

Following this, Malik announced that as a consequence of a close aid and partner of Brij Bhushan succeeding as the president, she will no longer be competing. “If Brij Bhushan Singh’s business partner and a close aide is elected as the president of WFI, (then) I quit wrestling,” she said. With this, she kept her blue wrestling shoes on the conference table. Throughout her address, Malik’s eyes were full of tears.  She also referred to the sit-in protests that were held by the women wrestlers at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi and the support they got from everyone. She said, “We slept for 40 days on the roads and a lot of people from several parts of the country came to support us.” It is pertinent to highlight here that the said sit-in protest had come to an end after Delhi Police had manhandled the women protestors and wrestlers, and had detained them.

The 31-year-old wrestler further said that “We wanted a female president but that did not happen. If the president would be a woman, harassment would not happen. But, there was no participation of women earlier and today you can see the list, not even a single woman was given a position. We had fought with complete strength but this fight will continue. The wrestlers of the new generation have to fight.” 

Punia then addressed the media and underlined the disappointment that the wrestlers were feeling with the government not standing by their word and letting a loyalist of Brij Bhushan be elected. “It’s unfortunate that government did not stand by its word that no Brij Bhushan loyalist will contest WFI election,” Punia said, as per a report of the Hindu. As per a report of the Times of India, during the duration of the lead-up to the elections, the wrestlers had consistently urged Sports Minister Anurag Thakur to prevent individuals associated with Brij Bhushan from participating in the WFI polls.

It is essential to note that Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat did not say whether they will retire from the sport or not. Post the press conference, Malik was seen crying as she left the venue as journalists could be seen chasing behind her.

The other reality of India- sexual harassment accused garlanded

As the news of the election results came forth, along came the video of crackers being burst outside the house of former president and sexual harassment accused Brij Bhushan. The sexual harassment accusation against Brij Bhushan has alleged that since 2014, he had continuously and consistently abused both senior and junior wrestlers. The video, which had been uploaded by the Press Trust of India, then showed Brij Bhushan wearing multiple garlands around his neck, being surrounded by men chanting his name and posing for the camera. Next to Brij Bhushan, the newly elected WFI president, an affiliate of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Singh could be seen standing with a huge smile plastered on his face. Both Brij Bhushan and Singh could be seen flashing a victory sign at the cameras.

As per a report of Aljazeera, when Brij Bhushan was asked about the decision of quitting taken by Malik after the results of the election came out, he replied “I have nothing to do with it.”

The Aljazeera report provided that in recent months, Singh had actively campaigned for Sanjay Singh to replace him and predicted his victory to the local press. As per a report of Newsclick, while campaigning for Singh, Brij Bhushan had told PTI that “11 months later, today is the election. In the election, Sanjay Singh, in a way, can be described as a representative of the old federation. Sanjay Singh is sure to win the election, ensuring the formation of a new federation for the children. I urge them to create a conducive sports environment as soon as possible and compensate for any losses.”

As alleged by the TOI report, given the tremendous interest the outgoing chief has in the sport, it can be expected that Sanjay will be consulting him in policy decisions.

Reacting to his victory, Singh told members of the media that his securing 40 out of 47 votes by the federation’s member institutions proved that “It’s a very big victory of truth over lies.” As per the Aljazeera report, he told reporters that he was committed to supporting wrestlers, but did not comment on Malik’s announcement. His statement provides the allyship that Singh has with Brij Bhushan.

Support pours in for Sakshi Malik on social media- questioning the government’s inaction

At same press conference that Sakshi Malik had announced her decision to quit wrestling, Sangeeta Phogat, another female wrestling champion who had also participated in the protest, said that “The wrestlers didn’t get justice.”

“It’s unfortunate that such people are getting elected to such positions in the country. Now, girls will be harassed again. It’s sad that even after fighting against it, we couldn’t bring any changes. I don’t know how to get justice in our own country,” Sangeeta Phogat added as per Newsclick.

Olympic boxing medallist Vijender Singh extended his support to Malik and described the election of loyalist Singh a “serious issue”. Vijendra Singh had also joined the protesting wrestlers in their sit-in protest. In his interview to India Today, Vijendra Singh had stated “As a player, it feels very bad because, after a lot of hard work, an athlete reaches that level. She is an Olympic medallist, a Commonwealth Games medalist and an Asian Games medallist. All these wrestlers, including Sakshi, Vinesh and Bajrang, have won medals at the highest level for the country.”

He further added that “When Sakshi said she would quit wrestling because of the way the election took place, I think it’s a serious issue. This raises a lot of questions about the democratic processes involved.”

His video can be viewed here:

VIDEO | “As a player, I can understand the anguish of Sakshee Malikkh as she quit wrestling because she did not get justice from the government in the sexual harassment case. If this can happen with athletes who have brought medals for the country then what will happen with the… pic.twitter.com/ehmgosjTUV

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) December 22, 2023

Randeep Singh Surjewala, Congress General Secretary and member of Congress Working Committee (CWC) also gave an interview and called Sakshi Malik’s “retirement” as a black mark in wrestling history. As per PTI, Surjewala said  “Every tear shed by Sakshi Malik, every tear shed by our Olympian daughters of India, every tear shed by every victim of the so called sexual exploitation and complete subjugation of the Indian Wrestling Association is a black blot on the future of India’s sports, particularly wrestling.”

His video can be viewed here:

VIDEO | “Every tear shed by Sakshee Malikkh, every tear shed by our Olympian daughters of India, every tear shed by every victim of the so called sexual exploitation and complete subjugation of the Indian Wrestling Association is a black blot on the future of India’s sports,… pic.twitter.com/DEkiDGfu7t

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) December 22, 2023

Farmer leader Rakesh Tikait, who had supported the women wrestlers in their protest against Brij Bhushan, reacted to Malik’s resignation and stated that “She should not have given up, as resigning in disappointment is not the solution. It takes a lot of time to become a successful wrestler, and she should have maintained her wrestling career.”

His video can be viewed here:

VIDEO | “She should not have given up, as resigning in disappointment is not the solution. It takes a lot of time to become a successful wrestler, and she should have maintained her wrestling career,” says farmer leader Rakesh Tikait in response to Sakshi Malik’s retirement… pic.twitter.com/fUpFkH3bcI

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) December 21, 2023

Many people also took to social media and released statements of solidarity with Malik, calling it a shameful day for the country.

Who is Sakshi Malik? What was the wrestlers protest?

Sakshi Malik is one of the top wrestlers of India. She has won multiple medals for India- a Gold medal in 2022 Commonwealth Games, Bronze medal in 2018 Commonwealth Games, Bronze medal in the 2016 Olympics, Silver medal in 2014 Commonwealth Games, 4 medals from 2015-2019 in Asian Championships, Gold and Bronze medals in Commonwealth Championship and several other Junior Level International Medals.

On January 18, 2023, Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik, two of India’s most esteemed women wrestlers, came forth with accusations of sexual harassment against BJP MP Brij Bhushan. The accusations of sexual harassment were levied by seven women wrestlers, including a minor against Brij Bhushan and several other coaches. During January 2023, the wrestlers had taken to the streets of Delhi for the first time to demand the arrest of Singh and his removal as the chief. By the end of January, a five-member oversight committee was formed which was headed by athlete Mary Kom. The said committee was given four weeks to complete the investigation into the allegations.

When no steps were taken for four months and the report submitted by the oversight committee was not made public, the wrestlers resumed their sit-in protest at Jantar Mantar in the month of April. They also moved the Supreme Court to get a FIR against Brij Bhushan registered. It was only after the Supreme Court deemed the allegations raised by wrestlers to be of “serious nature” did the Delhi Police file the FIR against Brij Bhushan.

Since the beginning of the protest, the protesting wrestlers faced multiple threats, violence and abuse at the hands of the Delhi police and the government. Nonetheless, the sit in protest had continued for almost 50 days. Their protest was also supported by farmers. On May 28, the protesting wrestlers and their supporters were detained by the Delhi police as they were attempting to march towards the newly inaugurated Parliament building. At the inauguration, which was conducted by PM Narendra Modi, a video of Brij Bhushan being present was also released on social media. The detained protestors were released from police custody the next day. After their release, the protesting women wrestlers had threatened to immerse their medals, but were stopped by farmer leader Rakesh Tikait.

In the month of June, the minor complainant in the sexual harassment case withdrew her complaint and changed her statement. The father of the minor wrestler complainant came out in the open about the threats that he had been facing and the amount of pressure that the family had been under. The father also provided that he was being threatened by people whose names he couldn’t reveal and “his family is living in intense fear”, owing to which he took the complaint back. In the middle of June, the protesting wrestlers had halted their protest after the sports minister had assured them of a police investigation against Bhushan.

A complete timeline of the protest can be viewed here.

Status of the case against Brij Bhushan

Even though a FIR had been filed by the Delhi Police against Brij Bhushan on the order of the Supreme Court, Brij Bhushan is yet to see inside the of a jail. On June 15, Delhi Police had charge sheeted the BJP MP under Sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 354A (sexual harassment), 354D (stalking) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). He had been given bail by Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Harjeet Singh Jaspal on July 20.

In the hearing of September 23, 2023, during the hearing arguments for framing of charges, the Delhi Police submitted to the Rouse Avenue Delhi court that Brij Bhushan “outraged the modesty” of the women wrestlers who filed harassment charges against him at every opportunity he got. As per a report of India Post, Additional Public Prosecutor Atul Srivastava, representing the Delhi Police, had also told the court that the former WFI chief “knew what he was doing” and his intention was to outrage the modesty of the wrestlers, which he also tried to cover up. The APP also argued that the actions of the accused were facilitated by the co-accused.

Additionally, the APP also pointed out that there are three types of evidence against Brij Bhushan which are enough to frame charges, which were- a written complaint and two recorded statements under Sections 161 (examination of witnesses by the police) and 164 (statements recorded by a Magistrate) under the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).

Related:

Clear case of re-victimisation: Former SC judge Madan B Lokur on Delhi Police’s handling of women wrestlers case

Protesting wrestlers will resume stir, say govt not ready to arrest WFI chief by June 15

Mumbai: Silent protest organised to condemn the injustice meted out to women wrestlers

FIRs suggest wrestlers had informed PM about their repeated sexual trauma in 2021

The post Wrestler Sakshi Malik quits wrestling as close aid of sexual harassment accused Brij Bhushan gets elected as president appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Justice Lokur was speaking at a webinar on ‘The Wrestlers’ Struggle: Accountability of Institutions’ organised by ANHAD and the National Alliance of People’s Movement (NAPM). Other than him, Supreme Court advocates Vrinda Grover and Shahrukh Alam, and senior journalist Bhasha Singh were also a part of the panel. The programme was moderated by Anjali Bhardwaj, a transparency activist and founder of the Delhi-based Satark Nagrik Sangathan (SNS).

Justice Lokur questioned Delhi Police’s handling of the sexual harassment complaint 

Questioning the modus operandi of the Delhi Police while investigating the allegations, and their demand for “concrete evidence” in the form of audios or visuals, Justice Lokur said, “There was a peaceful candle march at Jantar Mantar in May. Later, the police came up with the idea to talk to 100 witnesses. Why was this necessary? It is not as if there was a whole crowd watching the sexual harassment of these girls. Now, the police say that they need audio and video evidence. What is going on? This is not done on the streets but behind closed doors. The investigation is for finding evidence. Otherwise, why have an investigation? The police could be handed all the material to prosecute the fellow and send him to jail.”

Justice Lokur also expressed his surprise over the criminal charges of disturbing the law and order and rioting that were levelled against the protesting wrestlers after they had been detained by the Delhi Police on the day that the new parliament building was inaugurated. He said that the wrestlers who were been protesting against the alleged inaction of the State machinery were ill-treated by the Police. He said that “The complaint of rioting has not been withdrawn. Theoretically, therefore, now these wrestlers who came there as victims of crime have now become the accused. Look at the turn of events. The police also said that they could not come back to the Jantar Mantar to protest,” the retired judge said. 

He also accused the Delhi Police of being complicit, saying, “It is quite obvious that the police is mixed up. They do not want allegations to be proved and they don’t want the investigation to proceed.” 

He further questioned the fairness of the investigation being conducted in the said case. He provided that it has been reiterated and emphasized by the Supreme Court that the investigation of the police needs to be conducted independently, and yet the sports minister know when the report was going to be submitted. Justice Lokur said said, “When the wrestlers threatened to immerse their medals in Ganga as an act of protest, the sports minister assured that the probe would be completed by June 15. But, the question is, how did the minister know? This is something which only the investigating officer, or his superior, could say. Therefore, something is going on behind the scenes. This is very serious because the Supreme Court has said, in a number of judgments, that no one can interfere with an investigation. Not even the Supreme Court. Whether there has been any interference needs to be investigated, not that anyone will. But this is disconcerting to say the least.”

Justice Lokur expressed dissatisfaction over the decision to close the case by the SC

As stated by Justice Lokur, the Supreme Court of India ought to have monitored the investigation carried out by the Delhi Police into the allegations of sexual assault and criminal intimidation Singh. Notably, the women wrestlers had moved the top court seeking registration of an FIR against Singh. On April 28, the Delhi Police had informed a Bench led by CJI DY Chandrachud that an FIR had been registered in the matter. On May 4, the Court closed the wrestlers’ petition taking note of the fact that the Delhi Police has already registered an FIR. The Supreme Court had then turned down women wrestlers’ demand for a court-monitored probe into their allegations of sexual harassment against Singh and closed the proceedings on their petition “for now”, saying an FIR had already been lodged against him. However, it had given liberty to the petitioners to move the jurisdictional magistrate court or the high court for further relief.

Criticising the Court’s approach, the former Supreme Court judge said that the court should have asked the Delhi Police as to why the wrestlers “had” to move the Supreme Court to get an FIR filed in the first place, and should have monitored whether the police is performing their other duties or not. In addition to this, Justice Lokur also expressed his concerns about the fairness of the police investigation, highlighting, in particular, the ‘threat perception’ that  which the Supreme Court had itself acknowledged when it directed one of the complainants, a minor girl, to be provided with security:

“The petition before the Supreme Court questioned why an FIR had not been registered despite it being a cognisable offence. The court issued notice to the police in April and then they come out very magnanimously and agreed to register an FIR. This suggests that there was some substance in the complaint. The first thing the Supreme Court ought to have done is ask why an FIR had not been lodged before the matter was listed, which it did not do. In an affidavit, the court was also informed that there was a threat to the life of the wrestlers. On the next date of hearing, the bench directed police protection to be given which suggests that the life threat indicated to SC was perhaps real. Before the hearing, there was a scuffle that took place in Jantar Mantar where some drunk police officials manhandled the wrestlers, which the court must have been aware of since news about the incident was published in the newspaper. However, during the hearing, the bench said that the petitioners could approach the jurisdictional magistrate or the Delhi High Court in case of anything further. This should not have been said by the Supreme Court.”

Justice Lokur proceeded to substantiate his stance by saying:

“The whole thing suggests that the Delhi Police was slow and the wrestlers were under a threat, which the Supreme Court accepted. Keeping in mind the delay in lodging an FIR, even though it was a case of aggravated sexual assault, and the threat perception, the Supreme Court ought to have monitored the investigation so that nothing goes wrong. The Supreme Court has in the past monitored investigations, not with the view to see that the persons against whom the cases are filed are convicted, but to see that things don’t go wrong, especially in cases involving politically well-connected persons such as the Jain Hawala case in the 90s…In some other cases also because of the nature of the case or persons involved, the court monitors the investigation to see that it does not get derailed. In my view, the court did not fully appreciate the position when they decided to not monitor the investigation. I think they should have.”

Justice Lokur on the Oversight Committee:

Besides this, the former judge also questioned the government’s refusal to make the report of the oversight committee publicly available. According to him, the main driving point behind the wrestlers approaching the Supreme Court was the failure of the government to ‘make public’ the report of an oversight committee established to look into the allegations against Singh as well as the Delhi Police’s refusal to file a first information report (FIR). 

 “The contents of the report were a big secret to everyone, but why? An adverse presumption could be drawn here, as lawyers put it. The first thing that would have been done if the report was in favour of the accused person was that it would have been made public. Therefore, the first presumption is that the report is against the person against whom allegations have been made. The refusal to make the report public, and register and FIR were what drove the wrestlers to protest on the streets.”

Justice Lokur said that the complainants were re-victimised in this case

Earlier this month, in a shocking yet no so surprising turn of events, the father of the underage wrestler, on the strength of whose complaint a case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act was registered against Singh gave another statement alleging that no sexual harassment had been suffered by the minor wrestlers at the hands of Singh. He said that he and his daughter had made ‘false allegations’ against the WFI president, while also openly talking about the threats and fear their family was facing. With respect to this, Justice Lokur said:

“The minor was interrogated in the presence of four constables for about five hours – till 9:30 PM. What was the need to interrogate for this long when she has already given a written statement? This is nothing but re-victimisation. You have said this. Now, prove what you have said. This is what re-victimisation is all about and all courts have come down heavily against it. Why could they not have proceeded on the basis of the statement made by the minor to a magistrate under Section 164 of CrPC? Another girl was taken to the office, which they said was the scene of the crime. The scene of the crime is the person! It is the complainants’ bodily integrity that has been tampered with. What else is re-victimisation?”

With respect to the police’s intention to secure testimonies of witnesses from foreign countries where the crime was allegedly committed by Brij Bhushan, Justice Lokur said, “Can this be secured by June 15? The sports minister’s assurance has no meaning. Secondly, what kind of information are they hoping to get? These incidents – the sexual assault, stalking – did not take place in public.”

Justice Lokur further said that “Rather than investigating the offence that has allegedly taken place, it seems directed to showing that the accused is innocent and that the wrestlers – including the minor – are saying something false. This appears to be the purpose. Investigations must be fair and unbiased. They cannot take place when persons are under threat. Assuming the matter goes to court, any defence lawyer worth their salt will be able to shred the case to pieces with this background. They will either say that the accused is not guilty or is entitled to the benefit of the doubt. That is the end of the story.”

Justice Lokur on arresting POSCO and sexual harassment accused Singh

“It appears to me,” the retired judge said, “That what is going to happen is a foregone conclusion.” He added, “Brij Bhushan is a powerful, well-connected person, who has not been arrested despite the allegation being one of aggravated sexual assault. He is out there making speeches. Evidence shows that witnesses have been threatened – maybe not by Brij Bhushan directly. Evidence is being tampered with, with the minor and her father going back on their initial statement being an indication of this. In this country, even a person who does not have a passport is arrested, despite not being a flight risk. All the events must be looked at as a whole, and not in isolation.”

During the said webinar, Justice Lokur also pointed out that the WFI did not have a committee to deal with complaints of sexual harassment, as has been mandated by law.

(This copy is based on reports published by LiveLaw and other media)

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The post Clear case of re-victimisation: Former SC judge Madan B Lokur on Delhi Police’s handling of women wrestlers case appeared first on SabrangIndia.

On late hours of Thursday, news of the minor complaint’s father issuing a “confession” hit the headlines, just a day after a false news was circulated that the minor has withdrawn her complaint. In the said statement, the father of the minor wrestler has also confessed to levelling a false sexual harassment allegation against Singh because he wanted “revenge” for his daughter’s rejection in the U-17 Asian Championship.

“I was filled with rage that my child’s one-year hard work had gone down the drain because of that referee’s decision in the final and I decided to take revenge,” he stated to PTI.

The father of the minor had also stated that his anger was directed towards the WFI chief because the referee was selected by Brij Bhushan Singh. “The federation appointed the referee (in the match against the minor wrestler which she lost). Who heads the federation? Who else should I be angry at?” PTI quoted the father of the minor, as saying. It is pertinent to noted, that it was based on the said complaint filed by the father of the minor that a second FIR was filed against Singh on April 28 at Connaught Place police station under IPC sections 354, 354(A), 354(D), 34 and section 10 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

The minor’s father, also the complainant, in the FIR had narrated in detail several instances when his daughter was allegedly sexually harassed by the WFI chief. He had claimed that Mr. Singh had “touched her inappropriately” and asked her to “support him, if she needed his support”. He had also alleged that his daughter was “completely disturbed and cannot be at peace anymore …sexual harassment by the accused (Singh) continues to haunt her”. The father also alleged that Brij Bhushan forcefully pulled his daughter towards him and molested her.

He also alleged that Singh had discriminated against his daughter. “To my utter shock, my daughter was hugely discriminated against,” he had said in the FIR.

However, after multiple reports claimed that the girl had withdrawn the complaint and a lot of confusion was created, the minor complainant’s father had told The Hindu that they recorded a fresh statement denying any incident of sexual harassment. However, it has been provided by the father that they have not withdrawn the complaint where they have alleged that Singh discriminated against his daughter.

He said, “We have not taken back any complaint, we have just recorded another statement before the magistrate on June 5, where we have alleged that he discriminated against her when it came to wrestling, and he did not sexually harass her,” the Hindu reported. On being asked why he filed the false case, the girl’s father said “he was fuelled by anger against him because his daughter lost in last year’s trial match”. “We are telling the truth so that it comes out while investigation is under way,” he added.

Elaborating on the same, he said, “My daughter was deliberately made to lose because of the staff that was on duty and the opponent, and everybody hailed from Delhi, which isn’t right according to the rules. I did complain regarding the discrimination to the Federation, but nobody heard me,” as provided by the Hindu. He said he was angry. “I felt disheartened and I was angry and why shouldn’t I be? Mr. Singh was biased against her, I had to sell my house to train my daughter. We only had three options: to get her married, educated or get her into sports. Now, we don’t know what her future will be.” “I understand that we made a mistake and we would like to rectify it,” he said, adding that the referee’s decision, in the trial match, was influenced by Singh.

“The police complaint that we have given, is somewhat true and partly false and we’ve cleared everything that is right and wrong,” he said. When the Hindu asked him about the allegations that his daughter isn’t a minor, he asserted that she is a minor and that they have provided the investigators with “legal documents pertaining to her identity”.

On Singh, the minor’s father said that he has “nothing against him, apart from the anger over how his daughter was treated”. “I will continue to stand with the wrestlers, who have always supported us since day one. What happened to the women is wrong,” the father of the complaint said.

Minor cannot ‘withdraw’ complaint against Brij Bhushan: Lawyer Vrinda Grover explains

Speaking to The News Minutes, and commenting on whether the reported retraction of allegations by the minor is contradictory, Vrinda Grover explained how this is the most normal, natural, and commonsensical thing to happen. Even if the minor did give another statement to the magistrate, lawyer and activist Vrinda Grover points out that calling this a “withdrawal” of the charges or complaint is a legal fallacy. She also said that since a large section of the media panders to the Union government’s power, such reportage creates confusion in the minds of people.

The minor and six other wrestlers had previously filed complaints against Brij Bhushan in April 2023. Speaking to TNM, Grover elaborated that statements by the minor wrestler, are deposed before a magistrate under Section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC). “All 164 statements carry evidentiary value because they are made to a magistrate and signed by the maker of the statement. But such statements still have to be examined before a criminal trial court for their veracity to be established. No complainant can simply give a statement contradicting their previous one and take back their complaint or allegations. Such reportage by the media is not only the wrong interpretation of the law but also confusing,” she said.

“No matter how many statements the complainant gives, she will have to step into the witness box before the court and speak under oath. Since here the complainant is a minor, she will be given the required privacy and witness protection, and her statements will be examined by the court to arrive at their validity. So this is not a “withdrawal” of a complaint or evidence of the accused’s innocence. Once an FIR is filed in a criminal case, it has to be adjudged by a court of law. A crime is considered a wrong against society and the state is duty-bound to prosecute the accused before the law,” she added

Unveiling the fear that victims and survivors face

‘Changed my statement because I was scared’

While most of the media is focusing on the “confession” given by the father of the minor complainant’s father, and the withdrawal of the sexual harassment allegations against Singh, not much attention is being given to real confession that the father made, which is the pressure and threats that the family has been facing since they came out with their story. The father has revealed that he has been living in fear and was threatened. “I changed my statement in court not because of greed but because I was scared… scared for my family, daughter and myself. Many lives have changed since we raised the allegations. I have to face the society and the people, I was threatened by people, whose names I can’t reveal, and my family is living in intense fear. If anything happens to me or my daughter, how will we live?” he had told The Hindu.

This was not the first time that the minor complaint and the six other women wrestlers have come out and raised the issue of threats of dire consequences and inducements of money were being made to them. Even on the third day of the protest, the two-time World Championship medallist Vinesh Phogat, who has been leading the wrestler protest, said threats were being made to ‘break the resolve’ of the complainants. Tokyo Olympics bronze medalist Bajrang Punia had also accused Singh’s coterie of threatening the family of the minor, the result of which can be seen today.

“They are trying to threaten the minor victim and pressure is being put on the family members to withdraw the complaint. We have learned that one of the people threatening them is a coach who is a Dronacharya-award winner and the other is the secretary of the Haryana Wrestling Association. They went to her house and are putting pressure on the family and also offered money. They want her to take the complaint back. Those women wrestlers who have filed complaints against the WFI president are being threatened too,” Bajrang had said as had been reported by the Indian Express.

Yesterday, after the father of the minor gave the above-mentioned statements, Phogat tweeted the following on her Twitter handle: “Will the daughters get justice in the atmosphere of fear and intimidation???” Vinesh wrote

In another tweet, she said, “May these daughters not lose courage one by one because of the delay in this fight for justice??? God give courage to all.”

It will not be a reach to say that considering the amount of state-sanctioned abuse, violence and pressure was being meted out to the protesting wrestlers, this particular piece of news did not surprise anyone, but rather re-iterated the power that men like Singh, and those supporting, him have in our country. The power exerted by this man is such that no arrest has been made, and rather it is the complainants only who are suffering. Besides, this this is not the first case where the complaint has redacted their statements, succumbing to the political and societal pressure put on them, as was witnessed in the Gujarat 2002, Vadodara’s famed Best Bakery case and the Sohrabuddin Sheikh extra judicial killings case. While in the first, Best Bakery, following a Registrar General, Supreme Court’s inquiry, the circumstances that caused prime witness Zahira Shaikh to commit perjury were revealed and she was ordered to serve a year’s of simple imprisonment, the Sohrabuddin case simply fell through the cracks with justice an elusive commodity.

It is a shame that a minor woman, who found the strength to fight against the wrongdoings committed by a powerful and politically backed man against her consent and her body, had to take a step back owing to the threats faced by her and her family.

Questions should now be raised over the continued delay in the arrest of the WFI chief and filing of the charge sheet. Additionally, a need for conducting an inquiry to probe the delay in the case has arisen, to investigate the circumstances leading to this situation where witnesses are being compromised.

Is the police bound by the statement of the father of the complainant?

It is essential to note that even after the father of the complainant has issued the above-mentioned statements, the Delhi police can still proceed with its probe. The statement of the father will not held to be “decisive” of the said case as one the FIR was lodged, the State took over the case and was pursuing it. Thus, the Delhi police is not bound to accept the statement of the father, and it can still pursue the case because the statement of the minor is already there on record under Section 164 of Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC). Notably, a statement recorded before a magistrate under Section 164 is admissible in court.

The statement of the father will now act as an additional element which the police may look into, and if it finds that the case is false, then it can take action as required by law. Therefore, the power resides with the police to investigate whether this withdrawal by father of the complainant is genuine or coerced, and whether it amounts to perjury or not.

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https://cjp.org.in/the-2004-best-bakery-judgement-and-its-significance/

https://sabrangindia.in/themes-category/temple-justice-best-bakery-judgement/

https://cjp.org.in/restore-press-freedom-allow-coverage-of-soharbuddin-trial-buj-media-to-hc/

The post “I changed my statement because I was scared, my family is living under constant threat”: father of the minor wrestlers’ complainant appeared first on SabrangIndia.

The main objective behind holding the said protest was to support the protesting sportswomen, who have spent their lives bringing glory to the country, and are now being denied justice while those who have exploited them are roaming around Parliament House in Delhi. To condemn such inhuman treatment meted out to these sports women who are fighting for their demands through constitutional means, the citizens of Mumbai participated in the said protest.

The protest was attended by almost 150 people, most of whom were women. These participants were from both Congress and non-Congress background, with Congress workers being present in majority. In addition to them, groups of young girls and boys were also participating in the said protest, representing National Students’ Union of India and Youth Congress.

At the protest, many participants expressed their anguish regarding the support and protection that the current BJP government has been offering to the accused Brij Bhushan. Notably, the BJP government has refused to issue any statement in this issue and no step has been taken towards arresting Singh, even after having been booked under the POCSO Act. Furthermore, the people in attendance expressed a desire for societal change. The young people in presence expressed concern about a future in which girls did not feel safe enough.

People who had been or were still athletes expressed a strong desire to stand in solidarity with the wrestlers. A boys’ soccer team and a girls’ running team had travelled all the way from Sholapur to attend the protest. They stated how their parents are now hesitant to allow their daughters to travel, even if it is required. They relished their freedom and wished the same for all women, and were present at the protest to advocate for the same.

A couple of police personnel were present at the venue too. The police officers vehemently condemned Singh too, and referred to cases of Hathras and Unnao, both of which were cases of brutal crimes committed against the bodies of women. They expressed sadness at the way things are being handled. MLA Ms. Praniti Shinde, Mahila Congress head Ms. Anisha Bagul and other senior members from both Maharashtra and Mumbai units were also present. There was significant media, Amar Ujala, Aaj Tak, Saam and others, present at the protest.

The pictures from the protest can be viewed here:

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The post Mumbai: Silent protest organised to condemn the injustice meted out to women wrestlers appeared first on SabrangIndia.

As has been reported by the News Minute, it has been provided in the FIR filed by the women wrestlers that the complainant had met the Prime Minister in the year 2021 and informed him about the sexual harassment. She has further claimed that Narendra Modi had assured her that her “grievances” will be looked into by the Sports Ministry.

According to the FIR, the wrestler said, “I informed the Prime Minister about the repeated sexual, emotional, psychological, and physical trauma that was meted out to me and other female wrestlers by accused no. 1 [Brij Bhushan] in conspiracy with his close aides, to which the Prime Minister reassured me that such grievances will be looked into by the Sports Ministry and I will get a call from the Sports Ministry shortly.”

The complainant said that after her meeting with the PM, a show cause notice issued to her earlier was withdrawn, and Brij Bhushan and aides stopped exerting pressure on her for sometime, as was reported by the News Minute. However, she adds that the mental harassment resumed after a short interval. It is crucial to note here that there has been no mention made here that any attempt was made by the PM to remove Singh from his position of power even after knowing about the abuse. It is also pertinent to note that the Prime Minister has not yet issued anystatement regarding the sexual harassment allegations against Brij Bhushan, and had rather invited the accused to the inauguration ceremony of the new parliament building.

PM Modi once famously said, “Progress of women always gives strength to the empowerment of the nation,” and yet he falls truly short on implementing his words and protecting the women facing sexual harassment at the hands of a predator from his own party.

Even after all this, many other dramatic statements have been made by Singh, who has been time and again denying the allegations against him, calling it a political conspiracy. And now, the details of the key allegations put on him in the two official complaints filed with New Delhi’s Connaught Place police station on April 28 have come out, and they are disturbing and traumatising to say the least.

It is pertinent to note that both the FIRs cite IPC Sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 354A (sexual harassment), 354D (stalking) and 34 (common intention) that carry a jail term of one to three years. The first FIR covers the allegations of six adult wrestlers and also names WFI secretary Vinod Tomar. The second FIR is based on the complaint of a minor’s father and also invokes Section 10 of the POCSO Act which entails five to seven years of imprisonment.

The incidents mentioned allegedly took place in India and overseas from 2012 to 2022.

The seven women have put on record multiple incidents of sexual harassment and misconduct that included groping, inappropriate touching and physical contact — during tournaments, at warm-ups and even in the WFI office. At least two instances of demanding “sexual favours” in lieu of professional assistance along with more than 10 episodes of inappropriate touching, molestation that includes running hands over breasts, touching the navel have been made public in a report by the Indian Express. Several instances of intimidation including stalking and a shared sense of fear and trauma also form the key allegations in two FIRs filed.

• “Since the accused (Singh) was always on the lookout to engage in inappropriate talk/gestures…girls, including myself, collectively agreed to not go alone for breakfast, lunch or dinner”.

Wrestler 5

• “While I was standing in the last row (for team photograph)… the accused (Singh) came and stood alongside me. I suddenly felt a hand on my buttock. I was stunned by the actions of the accused (Singh) while they were highly indecent and objectionable and without my consent… when I tried moving away, I was forcibly held by my shoulder.”

Wrestler 6

• “On the pretext of getting a picture clicked with me, he pulled me towards him by my shoulder… to protect myself, I tried moving away from the accused (Singh)… Since I was not comfortable with the behaviour of the accused of forcing me, I, in order to escape, (his) clutches, repeatedly resisted his attempts and tried to push him away to which he (threatened): “Zyada smart bann rahi hai kya…aage koi competition nahi khelne kya tune?” (Acting too smart? You don’t want to be considered for tournaments in the future?)

(The above mentioned details of the FIR are based on the copy of the Indian Express)

 FIR 2- Allegations put forth by the minor wrestler

The minor’s complaint, filed by her father, alleges that his daughter was “completely disturbed and cannot be at peace anymore …sexual harassment by the accused (Singh) continues to haunt her”. The father also alleged that Brij Bhushanforcefully pulled his daughter towards him and molested her. Brij Bhushan then allegedly told her: “Tu merko support kar, mei terko support karunga, mere saath touch mein rehna” (If you support me, I will support you. Be in touch with me).

As per the News Minute, the father of the minor complainant also mentions that when his daughter refused Brij Bhushan’s advances, he allegedly threatened to stifle her chances at the upcoming trials for the Asian Championship, which he later did by clubbing her in the same category as other strong contestants at the trials, against the general practice of giving preference to the medal holder in the national championship. 

The complainant further details how Brij Bhushan called his daughter to his room and tried to initiate “forceful physical contact”, from where she ran, shell-shocked.

The minor athlete alleged that Singh held her tight for a photo. She mentioned that he also pressed her shoulder and purposefully touched her inappropriately. She added that she explicitly told him not to stalk her and that she was not interested in having any physical relationship with him.

• “Holding her tightly, pretending to get a picture clicked, the accused (Singh) squeezed her towards himself, pressed hard on her shoulder and then deliberately…brushed his hands against her breasts”.

• “She clearly told the accused (Singh) she had already told him that she was not interested in having any sort of physical relationship and that he should stop stalking her…”

Based on this complaint, Brij Bhushan has been charged under Sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 354A (sexual harassment), 354D (stalking), and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code, and Section 10 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO). The said Section 10 of the POCSO Act would lead to five to seven years of imprisonment. The minor athlete stated that the harassment took place between 2012 and 2022 in both India and abroad. Following this FIR, Brij Bhushanhad claimed that the POCSO Act is being misused and said he wants it amended.

A decade long pattern of abuse

These women have endured years of trauma, of living in fear and having their autonomy and dignity snatched away, of having no respite from the preying hands of men in power. From being sexually assaulted during training to having a man slide his hand inside their t-shirt under the guise of “checking her breath” to having their body touched without their consent while posing for a photograph, the complainants’ accounts demonstrate the level of authority Singh purportedly possessed and exercised in the federation, establishing this pattern to his sexual harassment while enjoying impunity. It is evident from the narratives presented above that time and again Singh used his clout to prey on the survivors, touching them on various pretexts, and isolating them whenever possible to elicit sexual favours. Today, these women are fighting on their behalf, as well as on the behalf of those women who are forced into silence about their stories, against a man who wields such power that even the Prime Minister is silent. From what should have been an act of justice, putting a guilty man behind bars, has become a struggle in which they are being manhandled, dragged, abused, and booked for disrupting the law and order of India!

Who and what are these women battling? On the face of it, they are fighting against a man guilty of committing non-consensual acts on their bodies. But they are also battling an invisible and rigid structure of impunity and abuse of power where a string of powerful men are standing behind one guilty man. 

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The post FIRs suggest wrestlers had informed PM about their repeated sexual trauma in 2021 appeared first on SabrangIndia.

The wrestlers had reached Haridwar at 6 pm to immerse their medals, from where heart-wrenching videos of wrestlers weeping over their plight were watched by millions on social media. Almost an hour later, farmer leader Naresh Tikait reached the spot and urged them emotionally not to throw away their medals. Tikait intervened, drew their medals from them, and sought a five-day time from the protesting grapplers to address their grievances.

The suffering and the plight of the protesting wrestlers, who have had to endure systematic violence, ignorance and apathy at the hands of the Delhi police and representatives of the union government whose radio silence around the champions’ protests has been telling. It has also been a wake-up call.

The May 28 crass brutality of the Delhi police (that is controlled directly by the ministry of home affairs under the union government) has shaken many who were previously silent. The contrast could not have been more stark: the cloak of powerful immunity accorded to the POCSO accused BJP MP, Brij Bhusan Singh who triumphantly participated in the inauguration of the “new Parliament” on an invitation from the Prime Minister and the brute manhandling and misbehaviour with the women Olympic champions protesting for their dignity and rights. Both on Sunday May 28.

Many organisations, political leaders, sportspersons, and celebrities have come out in support of the protesting wrestlers.

Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal slammed the government over the issue of allegations of sexual harassment levelled by women wrestlers against WFI president Brij Bhushan Singh, and asked whether POCSO and immediate arrest apply to all accused other than Singh because he belongs to the BJP. Kapil Sibal is the senior advocate who has previously represented the protesting wrestlers when they had approached the Supreme Court to demand that a FIR be registered against Singh.  While it took an order from the Supreme Court to even get an FIR filed against Singh, the same police was quick and prompt in booking the wrestlers for “violating law and order,” within ten hours! This FIR was filed under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 147, 149, 186, 188, 332, 353, Section 3 of the PDPP Act, said Delhi Police.

Naresh Tikait, the head of Balyan khap, said a ‘mahapanchayat’ will now be held in Muzaffarnagar’s Soram village on June 1 to discuss the ongoing protest by wrestlers against WFI. Tikait further provided that several representatives of different khaps and their heads hailing from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab Rajasthan and Delhi will be participating in the mahapanchayat to decide the next course of action in the wrestlers protest.

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha, an umbrella group of nearly 40 farmers’ unions, on Tuesday called for nationwide demonstrations on June 1 to support the protesting wrestlers, Sabrangindia has reported.  The Samyukta Kisan Morcha said that nationwide protests will be held to “secure the democratic right to protest by the Indian wrestlers and all other sections of society” and demand Singh’s arrest. “The morcha will coordinate with platforms of trade unions, women, youth, students and all other sections, including intellectuals, to stage demonstrations across India,” it said.

The Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) and the Students Federation of India (SFI) jointly declared a nationwide protest in support of the wrestler’s protest from June 4. “DYFI and SFI demanded the immediate arrest of Brij Bhushan and to withdraw all false cases against the wrestlers immediately. Through this protest, we demand that the Prime minister should apologize for the police violence unleashed upon wrestlers,” DYFI national president AA Rahim said.

The sport fraternity finally speaks up- National and International

In a statement on the night of May 30, the International Olympic Committee has condemned the way India’s top wrestlers are being treated during their ongoing protest. In their statement, the IOC has “urged the safety and wellbeing of these athletes” and called for “a speedy conclusion” of the investigation. The IOC spokesperson from Lausanne, Switzerland, also said that the “treatment” meted out to the athletes over the weekend, when they were manhandled and detained for hours, was “very disturbing.” The IOC also urged the IOA, headed by P T Usha, which has been conspicuous by its silence so far, to “protect the athletes

It further said that it had been in close contact with United World Wrestling (UWW) – the international organisation governing amateur wrestling – over the situation.

The UWW had also, prior to the IOC, issued a statement on Tuesday saying that it was following “with great concern” the wrestlers’ protests “over allegations of abuse and harassment by the president of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI)”.

“It expresses its disappointment over the lack of results of the investigations so far,” the statement said and added that the UWW would hold a meeting with the wrestlers to inquire about their safety and “reconfirm our support for a fair and just resolution of their concerns”.

The UWW also said that it might suspend the WFI if its upcoming elections were not held on time. As provided by the Indian Express, the IOC and the United World Wrestling are considering holding a joint virtual meeting with the protesting wrestlers.

A veteran of the cricketing fraternity of India, cricketer, Anil Kumble also joined other big sportspersons like Neeraj Chopra, Abhinav Bindra, Sunil Chhetri, who have voiced their support for wrestlers and expressed disappointment over how they were treated on the day India celebrated its new Parliament. Other cricketing icons of the country, even playing the popular IPL tournament that ended only on May 29 post mid-night have been conspicuously silent.

Support flows in from the film industry

A number of celebrities have also expressed their support for the protest, despite their reputation for being oblivious to their surroundings and indifferent to protests and societal movements. The ongoing wrestlers’ protest has captured the attention of many people working in various film industries across the country, as more and more people express their support through social media platforms and in interviews. Senior actor Naseeruddin Shah recently expressed his support for the protesting wrestlers and wondered if a film about these athletes would be made. Shah also stated that the Hindi film industry was never one to roll up its sleeves and confront problems head on.

“When has the Hindi film industry ever rolled up its sleeves and tackled a subject which is crying out to be tackled? Will anyone make a film on these girl wrestlers who brought us medals…? Will anyone dare make a film? Because they are scared of the repercussions. It is nothing new that the Hindi film industry is keeping mum on important issues, they always have,” the actor told PTI in an interview.

Sharing a collage showing security personnel detaining wrestlers Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat and Sangeeta Phogat by using force, Malayalam actor Tovino Thomas wrote on Instagram, “They are the ones who uplifted our reputation in international sports arenas. They gave colours of success to the hopes of an entire nation! Keep aside their achievements and accolades, but there is a justice that each and every citizen of this nation deserves. They should not be deprived of that justice. They should not be defeated just because those standing on the opposite side are strong. They should be heard and their demands should be considered. Justice should not be delayed, never be denied! Jai Hind.”

Renowned Tamil director Pa Ranjith, filmmaker Onir, actor Kamal Hassan, actor Swara Bhaskar, actor Ritika Singh, Uorfi Javed, actor Vidyut Jammwal and Malayalam director Anjali Menon too had recently extended solidarity with the protesting athletes.

The government saves face, spreads misinformation

The BJP government, which is at the centre and has been indirectly shielding Singh from having to bear any consequences provided under law, has been keeping mum about the whole issue of the wrestling protesters. The Congress claimed the BJP’s slogan of ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ now means ‘Beti BJP ke netaon se bachao’ (save daughters from BJP leaders)’ and also hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not making an appeal to the protesting wrestlers urging them not to immerse their medals in the Ganga.

The month-long protest of wrestlers even forced union minister Meenakshi Lekhi to do a little jog –run away from questions on the matter by media persons. She was seen walking briskly and then running when asked to comment on the issue. “Chalo, chalo, chalo,” the minister said as she was rushing towards her car. The union minister was chased by a media reporter who kept asking for comments on protesting wrestlers. “What do you have to say on the protesting wrestlers?” she was asked. To this, Meenakshi Lekhi responded that the ‘legal process is going on’.

The video can be viewed here:

पहलवानों से जुड़े सवाल से बचने के लिए मीनाक्षी लेखी भागने लगीं.

मीनाक्षी जी मोदी सरकार की मंत्री हैं. pic.twitter.com/YWyUXjx2on

— Ranvijay Singh (@ranvijaylive) May 30, 2023

A similar statement was also given by Smriti Irani, the union minister of Women and Child Development, urging the protestors to wait for the legal process. Ironically, the same government that has on multiple occasions supported the taking law into their own hands, be it the extra-judicial killing of accused and convicts, declaring any dissenter as terrorist, or demolishing “illegal” structures even as the court cases are ongoing, are now appealing for the citizens and media to wait till the law take its course.

It is essential to note that while wrestlers have had to fight a battle for exercising their rights on a daily basis, Singh has been brazenly giving interviews, and issuing statements. Reacting to the intention of the protestors to immerse their medals in the river, Singh said that the wrestlers immersing their medals in the Ganga would not make the court “hang” him.

“Immersing your (wrestlers) medals in Ganga won’t make the court hang me. Present your proof to the court, and if they choose to hang me, I will accept,” WFI chief Brij Bhushan Singh said while addressing a gathering.

A particular group of people are also busy making up stories and controversies regarding this whole issue. Earlier today, a news was circulating stating that the police had not found sufficient evidence in favour of the allegations levelled against Singh by female wrestlers and that it will submit the report within 15 days. As the news came out in the media, the Delhi Police took to Twitter to say: “It is clarified that this news is “wrong” and the investigation into this sensitive case is under progress with all sensitivity.”

Meanwhile, another attempt to build up a controversy is being made, with some individual claiming to be the uncle of the “minor” girl who has accused Brij Bhushan of sexual harassment, Amit Pehlwan, has been hitting out at the protesting wrestlers, saying that they are “misleading” his family and using them to frame Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. As has been alleged by Amit, the wrestlers are carrying out a scam as his brother’s daughter’s (niece) age has been changed to 16 years, so that the grapplers can “wrongly utilise” the POCSO Act.

The issue of sexual harassment at the workplace, raised clearly and sharply by India’s Olympic Women champions needs to be faced head on. It is an issue quite commonly brushed aside as an aggressive union government is even at this moment attempting to do.

Related:

Wrestler Protest: Law student moves NHRC, files complaint over the detention & brutal police action against protesting wrestlers

From deathly silence to violence: The journey of wrestlers struggling for justice

Protests erupt at Delhi police violent crackdown on Women Wrestlers, FIR, and nationwide outrage

Attempt to Drown out Wrestlers’ Protest with Song and Dance About ‘Temple of Democracy’

When Will Society Hold Men Accountable for Patriarchy

Farmers announce nationwide agitation in support of #WomenChampionWrestlers

Protesting wrestlers manhandled by drunk Delhi police officer at night, supporters and journalists detained

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The post Protests and Mahapanchayats announced in support of the protesting wrestlers, 5 days given till medals are immersed in Ganga River appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Law Student Aman Khan of Bikaner University mentioned in his complaint that “On May 28, several of India’s top wrestlers, including Olympic medallists Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik, had been detained while trying to march to the new Parliament building in New Delhi as they resolved to intensify their protest demanding the arrest of their federation chief over sexual harassment allegations from a period of time”

The Complainant has stated the “Right to life and liberty & right to freedom and expression embodied as fundamental rights under Article 19 and Article 21 of the Indian Constitution and no person shall be deprived from the ambit of Article 19 and 21”

The wrestlers had been protesting at Jantar Mantar since 23rd April, 2023, Olympian Vinesh Phogat, one of the athletes leading the protest said that several sexual harassment cases have been reported in the past but Singh succeeded in either making the charges disappear or made sure the complainant did not compete again. Recently, Phogat said, she received a phone call from young female wrestlers from a state in eastern India. “They had complained to the WFI in writing about sexual harassment by a coach,” she said. “The coach was banned for 10 days but returned in seven days as head coach. This is the culture [of the WFI]. When the head himself is like that, what action will he take against others?” The protesting wrestlers have refused to share the names of the women who have complained and will not let them come forward.

On May 28, the Delhi Police also registered an FIR related to rioting and other offences over the scuffle with protesting wrestlers in the national capital. A senior police officer that a case under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections pertaining to rioting, offence by a member of an unlawful assembly, obstructing public servant from discharge of duty, disobedience to an order promulgated by a public servant, causing hurt to a public servant in discharge of duty, using criminal force to stop public servant from performing duty, and under the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act was registered at Parliament Street police station.

A day after the incident, the law student filed a complaint before NHRC seeking appropriate action against the unlawful detention and the brutal police action taken by the Delhi Police over the wrestler protesting and also seeking NHRC Constituted probe over the incident.

Related:

From deathly silence to violence: The journey of wrestlers struggling for justice

Protests erupt at Delhi police violent crackdown on Women Wrestlers, FIR, and nationwide outrage

Attempt to Drown out Wrestlers’ Protest with Song and Dance About ‘Temple of Democracy’

When Will Society Hold Men Accountable for Patriarchy

Farmers announce nationwide agitation in support of #WomenChampionWrestlers

Protesting wrestlers manhandled by drunk Delhi police officer at night, supporters and journalists detained

Independent mechanisms on sexual harassment at workplace imperative, NWMI stands in solidarity with women wrestlers

WFI leadership accused of sexual harassment by Indian women wrestlers, absence of redressal mechanisms the focus

The post Wrestler Protest: Law student moves NHRC, files complaint over the detention & brutal police action against protesting wrestlers appeared first on SabrangIndia.

The world body also said it has been keeping an eye on the protest by the wrestlers against the outgoing Wrestling Federation of India president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh for allegedly sexually harassing several women.

“For several months, United World Wrestling has followed with great concern the situation in India where wrestlers are protesting over allegations of abuse and harassment by the President of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI),” UWW said in a statement.

The UWW has taken due note that the WFI President has been put aside at an early stage and is currently not in charge.”

Shocking scenes of police dragging Olympic and world championships medallists, including Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia and Sangeeta Phogat, were witnessed when the wrestlers and their supporters breached the security cordon during their march towards the new Parliament building for the planned women’s ‘Mahapanchayat’ on Sunday May 28. The union government went through with a show of splendour without giving any reaction or admonishment to the unlawful violent conduct of the Delhi police that is, in anyway, controlled by the union ministry of home affairs.

The wrestlers are demanding the arrest of outgoing WFI president Brij Bhushan for allegedly sexually harassing several women wrestlers, including a minor.

They had called for a women’s Mahapanchayat at the new Parliament building at a time when it was being inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The day chosen for the inauguration was the birthday of Vikram Savarkar a Hindutva supremacist.

“The events of these last days are even more worrying that the wrestlers were arrested and temporarily detained by the police for initiating a march of protest. The site where they had been protesting for more than a month has also been cleared out by the authorities.

“UWW firmly condemns the treatment and detention of the wrestlers. It expresses its disappointment over the lack of results of the investigations so far. UWW urges the relevant authorities to conduct a thorough and impartial investigation into the allegations.

“As it has already done since the beginning of this situation, UWW will hold a meeting with the wrestlers to inquire about their condition and safety and reconfirm our support for a fair and just resolution of their concerns.”

The Sports Ministry had asked the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) to form an ad-hoc committee to conduct the elections for the Executive Committee of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) within 45 days of its formation. So far there is a complete stalemate.

On April 27, a two-member ad-hoc committee was formed to run the day-to-day affairs of WFI and also conduct the elections. It has been 33 days since, leaving the body with just 12 days to hold the polls.

UWW said it will ban the national federation if it fails to hold the elective general assembly on time.

“Finally, UWW will request further information about the next elective general assembly from the IOA and the Ad-hoc Committee of the WFI. The 45-day deadline that was initially set to hold this elective assembly shall be respected,” it said.

“Failing to do so may lead UWW to suspend the federation, thereby forcing the athletes to compete under a neutral flag. It is reminded that UWW already took a measure in this situation by reallocating the Asian Championship planned in New Delhi earlier this year.”

Related:

From deathly silence to violence: The journey of wrestlers struggling for justice

Protests erupt at Delhi police violent crackdown on Women Wrestlers, FIR, and nationwide outrage

Attempt to Drown out Wrestlers’ Protest with Song and Dance About ‘Temple of Democracy’

When Will Society Hold Men Accountable for Patriarchy

Farmers announce nationwide agitation in support of #WomenChampionWrestlers

Protesting wrestlers manhandled by drunk Delhi police officer at night, supporters and journalists detained

Independent mechanisms on sexual harassment at workplace imperative, NWMI stands in solidarity with women wrestlers

WFI leadership accused of sexual harassment by Indian women wrestlers, absence of redressal mechanisms the focus

The post UWW strongly condemns detention of wrestlers, warns of WFI ban if polls not held in time appeared first on SabrangIndia.

The protesting wrestlers were summarily dragged, forcibly pushed to the ground, manhandled, thrown into buses and removed to unknown destinations while the new Parliament building was being inaugurated, just less than two kms away. Later, an FIR against them was filed for violation of law and order.

Today, all the top wrestlers, including Sakshi Malik, Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat, put out a statement in Hindi on their respective social media accounts, saying they would go to Haridwar and immerse their medals in the river. “We will throw our medals in river Ganga in Haridwar today at 6pm,” said the wrestlers, who have been protesting against the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh over sexual harassment allegations.

Furthermore, the wrestlers announced their decision to go on a hunger strike till death by stating, “These medals are our lives, our souls. There would be no reason to live after throwing them in the Ganga today. So, we will sit on an indefinite hunger strike at India Gate after that.”

In the statement, the wrestlers have criticised both the President, Draupadi Murmu and Prime Minister, Narendra Modi for failing to listen to their complaints and turning a blind eye to their plight. The wrestlers condemned President Draupadi Murmu’s apathy, claiming that even though she is a woman, she did nothing when Delhi Police manhandled and detained them. The statement read “It came to our mind how to return the medals to our President, who is herself a woman. Our conscience said NO, because she is sitting just two Km away from us and has not, did not utter a single word,” the statement read.

They also expressed anguish at the Prime Minister Narendra Modi for prioritising the opening of the new Parliament and inviting WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who is a POCSO accused, to the occasion, while the protesting women wrestlers have had to face so many hardships. “The Prime Minister who calls us our daughters did not even show his concern for wrestlers. Rather he invited the oppressor (Brij Bhushan) to the inauguration of the new Parliament building. He even posed for photographs in bright white clothes. We have been stained by this brightness,” the statement said.

On August 18, 2016 the same Sakshi Malik had received accolades from Modi when she won the Olympic Bronze: a medal at the Rio Olympics, clinching bronze in the Women’s Freestyle 58 kg category with a spirited comeback victory over Aisuluu Tynybekova of Kyrgyzstan.

Image courtesy: The Quint

The full statement can be viewed here:

Unprecedented scenes had enfolded on Sunday when the Delhi police had dragged and manhandled the Olympic and world championships medal-winning players when the wrestlers and their supporters breached the security cordon ahead of their march towards the new Parliament building for the planned women’s ‘Mahapanchayat’. It was reportedly stated by the police that they acted harshly since the wrestlers did not have permission to move towards the new Parliament building, hours after it was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi! In an obviously violent and brutal tussle, the protesting wrestlers and their supporters were taken to different locations in the national capital and later released after having FIRs filed against them. Other senior and younger women’s activists were also detained and released.

It is essential to note that not only did the police use a disproportionate amount of force against the wrestlers and pushed them into buses, the police officers also cleared the protest site by removing the cots, mattresses, coolers, fans and the tarpaulin ceiling along with other belongings of the grapplers. The Delhi Police then also stated that it will not allow the wrestlers back into the protest site.

Before this, the Delhi police had tried to garner a local school under the AAP-ruled Municipal Corporation of Delhi to be converted into a temporary “jail”. Permission for that had been refused by the Mayor.

Related:

From deathly silence to violence: The journey of wrestlers struggling for justice

Protests erupt at Delhi police violent crackdown on Women Wrestlers, FIR, and nationwide outrage

Attempt to Drown out Wrestlers’ Protest with Song and Dance About ‘Temple of Democracy’

When Will Society Hold Men Accountable for Patriarchy

Farmers announce nationwide agitation in support of #WomenChampionWrestlers

Protesting wrestlers manhandled by drunk Delhi police officer at night, supporters and journalists detained

Independent mechanisms on sexual harassment at workplace imperative, NWMI stands in solidarity with women wrestlers

WFI leadership accused of sexual harassment by Indian women wrestlers, absence of redressal mechanisms the focus

The post Protesting wrestlers will immerse their medals in the Ganga, an indefinite hunger strike will follow appeared first on SabrangIndia.