Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh on Thursday alleged that the protesting wrestlers are changing their 'demands and language' continuously and added that he still stands by his statement that he will hang himself if even one of the allegation against him is proven to be true.
Several ace grapplers including Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik have been protesting against Brij Bhushan accusing him of sexual harassment and demanding his arrest.
"...First they (protesting wrestlers) had some other demand and later they demanded something else. They are changing their demands and language continuously. I had said that if even one case against me gets proven, I will hang myself... I stand by my statement," Brij Bhushan told reporters in Gonda.
Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chairperson Swati Maliwal on Wednesday issued a summon to the Deputy Commissioner of Police, New Delhi in a case pertaining to the wrestlers-WFI case where an identity of a minor wrestler, who has accused Brij Bhushan of harassing her, was revealed on social media.
In the letter to DCP, New Delhi, DCP Chairperson Maliwal said: "Now, a video is being circulated on social media wherein a person claiming to be the uncle of the minor survivor has revealed the identity of the survivor which is a criminal offence as per the POCSO Act."
She further stated that the accused Brij Bhushan is highly influential and has not been arrested to date.
"The accused in the matter is highly influential and has not been arrested to date. The Hon'ble Supreme Court, considering the sensitivity of the case, and the direct threat to the survivors, especially the minor one, had directed the police to provide them security," summon read.
The summon further pointed out that in such a scenario, the act of revealing the minor survivor's identity has to be dealt with seriously.
In this regard, DCW chief Swati Maliwal has issued a summon to the Deputy Commissioner of Police of New Delhi District seeking registration of an FIR in the matter. The Commission has asked Delhi Police to provide a copy of the FIR along with details of the accused arrested in the matter.
The Commission has also asked Delhi Police to inform the reasons for not arresting the main accused Brij Bhushan. It has also asked Delhi Police to provide a copy of the enquiry report investigating whether the accused Brij Bhushan is in any way linked to the act of revealing the identity of a minor survivor.
DCW Chief has asked DCP New Delhi to appear before it on June 2 along with an action taken report on the matter.
Notably, the Leftist student organisations, the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) and the Students Federation of India (SFI), the students' wing of the CPI(M), have jointly declared a nationwide protest from June 4 in support of the wrestlers' protest.
"DYFI and SFI demanded the immediate arrest of Brij Bhushan and to withdraw all false cases against the wrestlers immediately. Through this protest, we demand that the Prime minister should apologize for the police violence unleashed upon wrestlers," said AA Rahim, national president of DYFI, the youth wing of the Communist Party of India (Marxist).
On Tuesday, Olympic medalist wrestlers Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik along with Vinesh Phogat reached Uttarakhand's Haridwar to immerse their all medals in the river Ganga, as a mark of their protest. But farmer leader Naresh Tikait intervened and stopped the wrestlers from immersing their medals in the Ganga and said that there would be a Khap meeting over the issue.
The wrestlers later issued a five-day ultimatum to the authorities to act against the WFI chief.
Earlier in the day, Delhi Police sources said that till now no supportive evidence has been found to arrest the WFI president in connection with the allegations levelled by wrestlers against him.
According to top sources, Delhi police will be filing its final report on the matter within 15 days. "Within 15 days we will be filing our report in the court. It could be in the form of a charge sheet or final report," they said.
"Neither he (WFI Chief) is influencing the witness nor he is destroying the evidence," they added.
