Wrestlers’ protest: ‘Panel asked us for audio, video proof… member said Brij Bhushan Singh like father figure’

AT least three wrestlers who deposed to the official Oversight Committee probing their allegations of sexual harassment against Wrestling Federation of India chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, have raised concerns over the panel’s proceedings.
In interviews to The Indian Express on the condition that they not be named, all the three wrestlers said they were asked to provide “video or audio proof” of their harassment.

One said that she was told a member of the committee that Singh was “like a father figure” and that she had “misconstrued” his behaviour “done in all innocence” as “inappropriate touching.” Another said that staff members of the WFI and a coach, all close to Singh, crowded the waiting area of the Sports Authority of India building, the venue of the hearings, and this was “intimidating.”

A request from the victims to have only the women members of the Oversight Committee present in the room when they made their statements was turned down, a second wrestler said.
Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik address the media at New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar. (Express photo Gajendra Yadav)
As The Indian Express had reported on May 7, two of the wrestlers, in their complaints to the Delhi Police, had alleged multiple incidents of sexual harassment. They said that Singh had, on the pretext of checking their breathing pattern, “touched the breast and stomach,” and, during a training session, “lifted her jersey.”
These two wrestlers, in their police complaints, also claimed that there were occasions, while testifying, when the committee switched off the video recording.The six-member committee, led former boxing World Champion Mary Kom, was set up the Union Sports Minry in the wake of the first protests in January and it held hearings in February.

While its report hasn’t been made public, the Sports Minry shared what it called its “major findings” after a preliminary scrutiny last month.
In a press statement, the minry was silent on allegations of sexual harassment against Singh but pointed to structural inadequacies within the WFI, including the absence of an Internal Complaints Committee mandated as per law.

One of the three wrestlers said that from the very first hearing, the OC didn’t give them the “confidence” to narrate their ordeal. “At the first hearing itself, a few girls were very uncomfortable as they were asked to appear individually. So from the next time, we attended as a group,” she said.
There were two hearings and at least 12 individuals testified to the committee. These included some wrestlers whose statements have been recorded the magrate. Last week, Singh was questioned the Delhi Police.
Once during the hearing, said another wrestler, a victim “was asked to repeat how she was sexually harassed Singh when committee members realised that the video recording was not turned on”.

The third wrestler alleged that they felt many OC members insensitive to their plight.
“They (Oversight Committee) were trying to hurry us up. Like they wanted to hear what we said through one ear and let it out from the other and wanted us to wrap up fast. Even before a statement could be completed, we were being prompted to move on. They didn’t try to understand our emotional state and we didn’t feel comfortable speaking before the committee,” a wrestler said.
Some Oversight Committee members also reportedly told the complainants that their hands were tied unless they provided evidence of the sexual harassment they had been allegedly subjected to.
“They asked us if we had video or audio proof,” said a wrestler echoing her colleagues. “’Without proof, what can we do?’ they said. I told them which woman will be able to record when sexual harassment is happening. You can’t even breathe when you experience something like that.”
One of the committee members, according to a second wrestler, “openly said that Singh was like a father figure and his acts were done in all innocence and were misconstrued us.”

On the sidelines of the hearings, a third wrestler said, a committee member told one of the victims “to return to training” because “there was no point” in appearing before the committee.
It is also learnt that one of the committee members attended one of the hearings on Zoom.“This was such a sensitive issue related to women wrestlers but this member wasn’t present in the room. We were told that this member was at a gym and hence joined via Zoom,” a wrestler said.
Besides Mary Kom, the committee included: former SAI Executive Director (Teams Wing) Radhica Sreeman; former CEO of the sports minry’s Target Olympic Podium Scheme Rajesh Rajagopalan; Mission Olympic Cell member and ex-shuttler Tripti Murugunde; and wrestlers Olympic medall Yogeshwar Dutt and World Championship medall Babita Phogat. None, except Sreeman, was available for comment.
Sreeman declined to comment on the allegations made the three wrestlers. However, she denied the police complaint two wrestlers that the video recording was sometimes switched off.
Speaking to The Indian Express, Sreeman said: “Everything was video-recorded and it is with the minry. So no word here and there can be changed. After video recording, it was also transcribed. What was transcribed is in the annexure of the report. From one question, another question emerged. I may ask a particular question. Another member may ask another question. Everything is on video recording and everything is transcribed to a T.”
She added that the video recording was paused only when “tea was being served or during lunch.”