(The story contains disturbing descriptions. Reader discretion is recommended)
NEW DELHI: Seven women wrestlers submitted a complaint of sexual harassment at the Connaught Place police station in Delhi against the WFI chief on April 21. The police, though late, after Supreme Court's intervention, registered two FIRs on April 28.
The first FIR pertained to allegations levelled by a minor that has been registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act along with relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code concerning outraging modesty.
The FIR narrates the ordeal the minor wrestler had to go through with the Wrestling Federation of India president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. "While holding her tightly and pretending to get a picture clicked, the accused further pulled her towards himself, pressed her shoulder really hard and then deliberately slid his hand down her shoulder and brushed his hands against her breasts."
The second one has been registered over complaints by adults pertaining to outraging of modesty.
Both the FIRs, which have been now accessed by The New Indian Express, reveal the horrific experiences which the women wrestlers, including a 17-year-old minor girl, were facing in the presence of Singh.
The FIR in the case of the minor wrestler was lodged based on the complaint of her father under sections 354 (Assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 354A (Sexual harassment and punishment for sexual harassment.) 354D (Stalking) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code and relevant section of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses Act.
As per the FIR, when Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh was harassing the minor wrestler, he told her to support him (physically) and he will return the favours. However, the wrestler somehow managed to wriggle out of his strong grip and bluntly told him "Sir mein apne balboote par yaha tak aayi hu, aage bhi mehnat karke aage tak jaugi" (I have come here on my own strength and I will go further by only working hard).
"Upon this, the accused told my daughter that the trials for the Asian Championship were soon to be held and since she was not cooperating with him, she will have to bear the repercussions in the upcoming trials," the FIR read.
Brij Bhushan then allegedly called that minor girl wrestler to his room where he again pulled her towards himself and tried making forceful physical contact with her. "My daughter being stunned and shell-shocked immediately freed herself from the clutches of the accused and ran outside the room. My daughter was so shocked that she could not even gather herself together," the FIR read.
Just last year, as per the FIR, the accused yet again approached her and asked her to meet her personally. "She clearly told the accused that she had already told him that she was not interested in having any sort of physical relationship and that he should stop stalking her and desist from making such remarks which had sexual overtones and were made in an indecent manner," it read.
Calling Brij Bhushan Singh a 'sexual predator', the father of the 17-year-old minor wrestler, who had already brought laurels for the country by winning medals at both national and international level, said that his daughter could not muster up the courage to lodge the complaint earlier as the wrestling federation is totally under the control of the accused.
