Wrestlers file police complaint against WFI president Brij Bhushan, accusing him of sexual harassment

Seven woman wrestlers have filed a police complaint against BJP MP and Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, accusing him of sexual harassment. The police complaint was filed on Friday with the Connaught Place Police Station in New Delhi, it is learnt.
A complaint has been filed with Delhi Commission for Women, too, with its head Swati Maliwal saying that ‘several women including a minor have alleged that the accused person has indulged in the crime of sexual harassment against them during his tenure at the helm of Wrestling Federation of India’. In her letter to the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Maliwal demanded that an FIR be filed against Brij Bhushan.
Demanding action against Brij Bhushan, the wrestlers are also set to resume their sit-down protest against him at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on Sunday.
Confirming the development, Olympic medall Bajrang Punia told ANI: “Yes, absolutely (the complaint has been filed) – at Connaught Place Police Station.”
Another wrestler added: “We have taken this step as there has been no action taken since we lodged our protest with the sports minry,” a wrestler said. “We are now waiting for the police to take further action.”
A senior police officer confirmed that they have received a complaint and added that they have begun their enquiry before filing an FIR. “We have received a complaint at Connaught Place police station and are conducting enquiry before lodging FIR. Appropriate legal action would be taken,” a senior police officer said.
Bajrang, Vinesh Phogat and several leading wrestlers from the country have expressed their unhappiness that the findings of the government-appointed Oversight Committee have not been made public yet.
Boxing legend MC Mary Kom is the head of the committee that was set up on January 23 to probe the allegations levelled against Brij Bhushan the wrestlers. The committee was given a one-month deadline but its findings have not been made public yet even though the report has been submitted.
Apart from Mary Kom, the other members of the Oversight Committee are Olympic medall-wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt, former badminton player and Mission Olympic Cell member Trupti Murgunde, former CEO of the Target Olympic Podium Scheme Rajesh Rajagopalan, and former Sports Authority of India executive director (teams) Radhica Sreeman.
Earlier this month, Vinesh had said the wrestlers were considering legal action against the WFI chief. “We have lost faith in the committee,” Vinesh had told The Indian Express earlier this month. “We received some assurances from the government but they were not fulfilled too. We do not know the status of the report filed the committee as well.”