Wrestlers’ protest: Delhi Police question WFI chief Brij Bhushan, assistant secy Vinod Tomar

A list of crimes allegedly committed by BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh at the ongoing wrestlers’ protest at Jantar Mantar. (Express file photo by Prem Nath Pandey)

A senior police officer said Singh was summoned and questioned twice, for two-three hours, a few days ago. Both times, he reportedly denied his involvement and claimed that he was falsely implicated. The police have asked him to submit some documents related to the investigation.

“Tomar was also questioned twice and we have asked him also to produce some documents. We will summon them again in the coming days,” said the officer.

The Delhi Police has set up a special investigation team (SIT) comprising women police personnel. “On Wednesday, the minor victim appeared before a magistrate and recorded her statement before a magistrate under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC). We will record the statements of the other women wrestlers in the coming days,” said a police officer.

On Friday, the statement of another wrestler was recorded before a magistrate.

Police said the SIT has visited Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and Karnataka to gather evidence and record statements.

Last week, the police recorded the statements of the complainants under Section 161 of the CrPC. However, these aren’t admissible in court. The Delhi Police has also recorded the statements of 30 witnesses linked to the case and obtained the report of the oversight committee chaired by Olympian boxer Mary Kom, that was set up to probe the sexual harassment complaints against Singh.

“We have received a report from the oversight committee, where they have recorded the statements of the victims and others, but we have also recorded their (victims’) fresh statements for our case,” said a police officer.

On April 21, seven female wrestlers, including the minor, had filed separate complaints of sexual harassment and criminal intimidation against the WFI president at Delhi’s Connaught Place police station. The wrestlers later approached the Supreme Court, stating that the police were not registering FIRs. Subsequently, the police registered two FIRs.

Some of India’s top wrestlers, including Olympic medallists Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik and World Championship medallist Vinesh Phogat, have been protesting at Jantar Mantar since April 23. They have said that they will end their protest when Singh is arrested under relevant sections.