Wrestlers’ Protest: The police have tried to gather evidence on their own as well. (file)
New Delhi:
The Delhi Police has asked the women wrestlers who filed a sexual harassment case against Wrestling Federation of India chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh to produce pictures, videos, or WhatsApp chat messages to support their allegations, sources said. The police have tried to gather evidence on their own as well.
The police served a CrPC 91 notice, which gives the investigating officer the power to call for any document that is relevant to a case, on the complaints and asked them to hand over any evidence they have regarding the case.
Elite grappler Bajrang Punia, one of those leading the huge protest demanding the immediate arrest of the federation chief, yesterday in an exclusive interview with NDTV said the protesters don’t trust the police investigation. He said there was an attempt to “shield” the BJP MP, and him being out of jail is hampering the investigation.Â
“The police yesterday took a woman wrestler to the Wrestling Federation of India office despite Brij Bhushan Singh being present there. The woman asked if Mr Singh was at the office, the police lied and said he wasn’t. She got scared when she got to know he was there,” Mr Punia said.
Olympian Sakshee Malikkh in the sdame interview said that the “minor” who was among the seven women wrestlers accusing Mr Singh of sexual harassment, changed her statement under pressure. “There’s huge pressure on us to compromise,” she said, accusing Mr Singh of getting his men to call and threaten the complainants.
The “minor” wrestler was not underage at the time of the event and has recorded a fresh statement in court. Her father said she had changed the age-related bit in her statement, but her complaint of sexual harassment remains as it was.
Ms Malikkh also said they have been demanding the arrest and custodial interrogation of the accused since day one as he has enough power and influence to derail the investigation and intimidate the complainants and witnesses.
“An impartial probe can’t be conducted without Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh’s arrest,” she said.
Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh has earlier denied all allegations of sexual misconduct, and even issued a defiant statement refuting all charges.
“If a single allegation against me is proven, I will hang myself. If you (wrestlers) have any evidence, present it to the Court, and I am ready to accept any punishment,” he said.
In another interview to NDTV yesterday, Jagbir Singh, an international wrestling referee who was present at a wrestling event in Lucknow where a woman wrestler alleged harassment by Brij Bhushan Singh, claimed that the accused in March last year grabbed a woman wrestler “in a place one shouldn’t touch a woman”.
He also made serious allegations against Brij Bhushan Singh regarding another alleged incident of 2013 when he said the federation chief’s “horrifying side” was revealed.
