Chandigarh: Upping the ante against the Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the protesting wrestlers Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik on Saturday demanded Singh’s arrest at the earliest, lest other complainants were also forced to change their statements like the minor who has changed her’s.
Giving an ultimatum to the government, the wrestlers said that they would re-launch their stir after June 15 if Singh was not arrested at the earliest. Sakshi also threatened that they would participate in the Asian Games only after their demands were met. It may be mentioned here that the Asian Games are slated for September-October this year.
Bajrang Punia reiterates wrestlers' stand
Punia while speaking at a Mahapanchayat of Khap leaders held in Sonepat, said that the Centre did not seem to be willing to arrest Singh as the Union ministers had told him that Singh would be arrested if concrete evidence was found against him.
Sakshi, who also accompanied Punia at the panchayat said that all the protesting wrestlers were united though Vinesh was busy with inquiries.
She went on to bemoan that while the minor wrestler who had changed her statement was under pressure and undergoing trauma, other complainants could also bow down if Singh was not arrested at the earliest.
She said that the protesting wrestlers would play the Asian Games only after the case was completed in a fair manner.
Wrestlers asked to recreate scene at WFI chief's office
As part of their investigation into the allegations against Brij Bhushan Singh, the Delhi Police accompanied a woman wrestler to his office. The office of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) is located in Mr. Singh's official residence.
Accompanied by a team of women police officers, the wrestler arrived at the WFI office at 1:30 PM. They spent approximately half an hour there. During this time, the wrestler was asked to reenact the alleged incidents of harassment and identify the locations where she felt harassed.
After the police concluded their visit, wrestler Vinesh Phogat, one of the leaders of the protest, expressed her disappointment on Twitter regarding media reports that suggested the wrestlers had gone to the WFI office to reach a compromise.
"This is the power of Brij Bhushan. He is harassing women wrestlers by using his muscle power, political power and running false narratives, and his arrest is necessary. If the police arrests him instead of breaking us, there is hope for justice, otherwise not. Women wrestlers had gone to the crime scene for police investigation, but it was flashed in the media that they had gone for a compromise," she tweeted in Hindi.
According to the police, as the investigation into the allegations continues, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) has interviewed over 180 individuals.
