Demonstration of wrestlers at Jantar Mantar and Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh
– Photo: Social Media
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Seven women wrestlers, who have leveled sexual harassment allegations against Wrestling Federation of India President Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, have sought permission from the Supreme Court to file affidavits in a sealed cover. On April 28, after the Delhi Police had registered two FIRs against Brij Bhushan Singh on the allegations of the wrestlers, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Delhi Police, told the top court that the case would be registered on Friday.
On Wednesday, the counsel representing the women wrestlers mentioned the matter before a bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice PS Narasimha and said that he is seeking permission to file an affidavit in a sealed cover before the court. The matter will be heard in the Supreme Court on Thursday.
He said that he has no problem in providing a copy of the affidavit to the Solicitor General, but it should not go in the public domain. The bench allowed the counsel to bring the sealed cover affidavit on Thursday along with an advance copy to Mehta. Mehta told the bench that investigation is going on in the matter and the petitioner can share these materials with the investigating officer.
When Mehta asked if he could share the material with the investigating officer, the bench said, “Okay.” Top wrestlers of the country are sitting on a dharna at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar demanding action against Brij Bhushan Singh.
The Delhi Police had on April 26 told the apex court that some kind of preliminary inquiry was required before registering an FIR on the allegations of sexual assault. The apex court had on Tuesday issued notice to the Delhi Police and others on a petition by seven women wrestlers, saying the matter was “serious” and needed to be considered.
Several national award-winning wrestlers are protesting at Jantar Mantar, demanding that the government make public the findings of the inspection panel probing sexual harassment allegations against Singh. The wrestlers insisted that they would not leave the protest venue until Singh was arrested. They resumed their sit-in on Sunday and demanded that the findings of the inspection panel that probed the allegations be made public.
The sports ministry had formed the committee in January after a three-day strike by wrestlers. Top wrestlers like Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik protested at Jantar Mantar in January, accusing the WFI chief of sexual harassment and intimidation. The wrestlers demanded that the WFI be dissolved and its president removed. Following this, the Sports Ministry on January 23 constituted a monitoring committee headed by legendary boxer MC Mary Kom and asked it to submit its report within a month. Later, it extended the deadline by two weeks and included Babita Phogat as its sixth member in the probe panel on the insistence of the protesting wrestlers.