AS EARLY as in February, the wrestlers had flagged their allegations of sexual harassment in opposition to WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh whilst deposing ahead of the Oversight Committee arrange by way of the federal government.
However, whilst the Delhi Police discovered Singh “susceptible to be prosecuted and punished for offences” at the foundation of the similar allegations, the Oversight Committee didn’t carry a unmarried purple flag or suggest police motion in its file submitted to the Sports activities Ministry in April.
The six-member committee, led by way of former boxing Global Champion Mary Kom, was once arrange on January 23, within the wake of the primary protests in January, and it held hearings in February.
Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh on the Charter Membership in New Delhi on Thursday. (PTI)
On April 24, the federal government launched the committee’s “main findings”, which, whilst highlighting structural lapses inside the federation, together with the absence of an Interior Lawsuits Committee, remained silent at the allegations in opposition to Singh.
This regardless of a dozen avid gamers, coaches and reinforce personnel both accusing Singh of sexual harassment or corroborating the allegations.
Following the loss of motion, and their lack of religion within the committee, wrestlers Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia returned to Jantar Mantar on April 23, the place they persevered to protest for almost two months. They referred to as off their stir remaining month, following conferences with Union House Minister Amit Shah and Sports activities Minister Anurag Thakur who confident expedited investigation.
The contents of the probe committee’s file are discussed in toto within the Delhi Police chargesheet, and feature been submitted as an annexure.
All over the deposition, one wrestler complained that Singh touched her “abdomen and chest 3-4 instances and persevered to touch upon her respiring development”. “She felt very traumatised by way of this act and was once not able to consume correctly. Being younger, she was once not able to muster braveness to talk up,” the committee famous.
This development was once repeated on a couple of wrestler, it mentioned. Some other wrestler claimed that Singh pulled her against him and put “his hands round her waist” whilst images have been being taken when she gained the gold medal at a home match remaining 12 months, mentioned the file.
A 3rd wrestler claimed that once staff images have been being taken right through a variety trial remaining 12 months, Singh “touched her… in the back of, which made her really feel very uncomfortable”, it mentioned.
One wrestler additionally advised the committee that she felt “uncomfortable” with the behaviour of nationwide staff coaches who hugged her and carried her on their shoulders. When a committee member mentioned this was once a “prevalent” customized in wrestling, the athlete answered that she was once no longer happy with such behaviour, the panel famous.
The wrestler mentioned this was once verbally dropped at the eye of Sports activities of Authority of India officers after the Global Championships in 2022. The file mentioned this was once “dropped at the attention of CEO TOPS (Goal Olympic Podium Scheme) and was once into account”.
Except for Mary Kom, the opposite participants of the committee have been London Olympics bronze medal-winning wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt, former badminton participant Trupti Murgunde, former SAI govt director Radhica Sreeman, former leader govt of the Goal Olympic Podium Scheme Rajesh Rajgopalan, and previous wrestler Babita Phogat.
