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Journalism of Courage
After Delhi Police sought court permission to drop the POCSO case against WFI chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh citing the withdrawal of a minor and her father’s allegations against him, 2016 Olympic medallist Sakshi Malik, at the forefront of the protest against Singh, flagged concerns and questioned the manner in which police dealt with the complaint.
In the Patiala House Courts, police filed a request on Thursday for cancellation of the POCSO case against Singh.
“In the POCSO matter, after completion of investigation, we have submitted a police report under Section 173 CrPC, requesting for cancellation of the case based upon statements of the complainant i.e., the father of the victim and the victim herself,” police said. The matter will be heard next on July 4.
Earlier this month, The Indian Express had reported that the lone minor among the seven female wrestlers, alleging sexual harassment against Singh, had withdrawn her allegations.
The minor had recorded a fresh statement before a magistrate under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. At that time, senior advocate Rebecca John had said, “I am not surprised. The calculated delay in arrest in such cases puts the complainant through pressure. These kinds of struggles are long and painful. When women come out in such cases, they put their lives and careers at stake.”
Talking about the next step, Sakshi said that though the protests were on hold, justice would be served only if Singh is arrested by the end of the legal process.
“We will consult our legal team and study the contents of the chargesheet. After that, we will take a final decision on the future course of action. If our legal team says it is a chargesheet that is strong and the case against Brij Bhushan can be fought in court, then there is hope for justice. Only if Brij Bhushan is arrested after the court hearings will women wrestlers who have been sexually harassed receive justice,” she said.
On April 28, Delhi Police registered two FIRs that have at least two instances of demanding “sexual favours” in lieu of professional assistance; close to 15 incidents of sexual harassment that include 10 episodes of inappropriate touching, molestation that includes running hands over breasts, touching the navel; several instances of intimidation including stalking.
Some of India’s top wrestlers – Sakshi and Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Bajrang Punia and World Championship medallist Vinesh Phogat – protested at Jantar Mantar for over a month demanding the arrest of Singh, a BJP MP from Kaiserganj in UP.
Another wrestler, requesting anonymity, said they will decide the future course of action only after studying the chargesheet.
“While the police have held him accused, we need to thoroughly check under what sections has Brij Bhushan been charged and the implications. Our next step will be clear after we go through the chargesheet,” the wrestler said.
However, the wrestler expressed keenness to take part in the Asian Games which are exactly 100 days away. “We have requested that the selection trials be held in August, so we have enough time to prepare,” the wrestler said.
The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has set June 30 as the deadline for all sports federations to submit their team lists by name for the Asiad, which will be held in Hangzhou, China, from September 23 to October 8.
The ad hoc committee, which has been tasked by the government to run the day-to-day affairs of the wrestling federation, is likely to decide on the dates for the trials by this weekend. Their initial plan was to conduct the trials in the last week of June at the IG Stadium in New Delhi.
One of the possibilities now, it is learnt, is that the selection in most weight categories will be completed by June whereas the trials of weight classes in which the protesting wrestlers compete will be held at a later date.
“A decision will be taken in a day or two. If the trials are held after July 6, when the Wrestling Federation of India’s elections will be conducted, then it will no longer be the responsibility of the ad-hoc committee. They will then be conducted by the new WFI administration,” an IOA official said.
