On pretext of checking breath, Brij Bhushan touched breast, stomach: 2 wrestlers to police

Has called the allegations part of a political vendetta

According to the complaints, Singh’s influence as WFI

president and the fear that he would create hurdles in their career were why these wrestlers didn’t speak up earlier although they were mentally and physically exploited.

In her complaint, Wrestler 1 (her name has been with-held to protect her identity), has put down at least five incidents of alleged sexual harassment against Singh.

One was at a restaurant during a tournament in 2016, when Singh allegedly touched her breast and stomach after asking her to join him at the table. In the complaint, Wrestler 1 is said to have mentioned that after this alleged incident, she did not feel like eating, her sleep was disturbed and she was distressed. She alleged that a similar incident, where Singh once again touched her breast and stomach, happened at another tournament in 2019.

In her complaint, Wrestler 1 is said to have accused Singh of touching her inappropriately and groping her on two days when she was called to the WFI office that’s located within Singh’s MP bungalow at 21, Ashoka Road in New Delhi.

On the first day, she is said to have written in her complaint, Singh touched her thighs and shoulder without her consent and when she was asked to report to the WFI office two days later, he touched her breast and put his hand on her stomach saying he wanted to check her breathing pattern.

In 2018, during a tournament, Singh allegedly hugged Wrestler 1 tightly for a prolonged period of time and during another tournament, Wrestler 1 had to wriggle out of the hug because Singh’s hand was close to her breast.

The second complainant, Wrestler 2, (her name has been with-held to protect her identity) has alleged that when she was warming up, Singh lifted her training jersey without her consent in 2018 and touching her breast and stomach saying he wanted to check her breathing pattern. In her complaint, Wrestler 2 has reportedly said this left her traumatised and shocked.

Wrestler 2 has alleged that the second incident occurred a year later at the WFI office at Singh’s Ashoka Road bungalow. When she entered his office, she is said to have complained, Singh allegedly asked the others to leave, following which he allegedly pulled Wrestler 2 close and tried to grope her. Singh also allegedly exchanged numbers with Wrestler 2 at his office.

When contacted, both the wrestlers declined to comment on their complaints against Singh. Incidentally, earlier this week, both these wrestlers also recorded their statements to the Delhi Police under Section 161 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.

Singh was unavailable for comment despite several calls. He has consistently denied any wrongdoing and called the allegations part of a political vendetta and a conspiracy by rivals who want to displace him from the wrestling establishment.

Some of the country’s top wrestlers — Olympic medallists Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik and two-time World Championship medalist Vinesh Phogat – have been protesting at Jantar Mantar since April 23 demanding Singh’s arrest.

Complaints of sexual harassment and criminal intimidation, including one by a minor, were filed on April 21. But when the police didn’t file FIRs, the wrestlers approached the Supreme Court. Subsequently, the police filed two FIRs, one under the POCSO Act and a second based on the complaints of the adult women wrestlers.

On Thursday, a bench headed by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud did not entertain a plea by the wrestlers that the ongoing police investigation against Singh be monitored by a retired judge of the Supreme Court or High Court.

The apex court said they were at liberty to move the jurisdictional magistrate court or the Delhi High Court if they felt further directions were needed.

Significantly, these two wrestlers were among those who also appeared before the Oversight Committee set up by the Sports Ministry in January after the first protests in Jantar Mantar.

The sports ministry in what it called ‘major findings’ based on the ‘preliminary scrutiny’ of the Oversight Committee report highlighted the lack of an Internal Complaints Committee in the WFI as stipulated under the Prevention of Sexual Harassment Act 2013 but named no one — and didn’t address the allegations against Singh.