In fir wrestlers narrate traumatic experiences of sexual harassment by singh

In fir wrestlers narrate traumatic experiences of sexual harassment by singh

He pulled my daughter forcefully, later threatened to ruin her career, says father of a minor victim; another wrestler says in the FIR that she informed PM about the harassment, was assured of help.

While Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh remains defiant, the wrestlers, in the police FIR, have shared their ordeal of years of sexual harassment and how some of them were treated indifferently “if they didn’t support him”.

The two FIRs were filed at the Connaught Place police station by the Delhi Police after the intervention of the Supreme Court on April 28.

Mr. Singh has been booked under IPC Sections 354 (assault or criminal force on a woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 354A (sexual harassment), 354D (stalking) and 34 (common intention). Along with him, WFI secretary Vinod Tomar has also been named in the police FIR.

For the minor girl, who has played at various championships and is currently 17 years old, her father filed the police complaint.

‘Touched my daughter’

Her father said when she won a gold medal at a championship in India, the accused, on the pretext of taking a photo, “forcefully pulled the girl towards him and held her so tightly that she couldn’t move or free herself from his grip”. He even touched her inappropriately, her father said in the FIR.

Mr. Singh then allegedly warned her that the Asian Championship’s trials were to take place soon, and since she wasn’t cooperating with him, “she’ll have to bear the repercussions in the upcoming trials”.

Another wrestler, in the FIR, said Mr. Singh first sexually assaulted her in August last year.

“I have informed the Prime Minister about the repeated sexual, emotional, physiological, and physical trauma that was meted upon me and other female wrestlers by the accused, 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 shortly be getting a call from the Sports Ministry,” she said.

Another wrestler alleged that during the recording of her statement “it appeared that the [oversight] committee was already sitting with a premeditated mind to favour the accused.”

‘Tried to bribe’

Yet another woman alleged, “In order to further fulfil his sexual intentions, he also tried to bribe me by offering to buy me supplements which I may require as an athlete in exchange for sexual favours.”