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New Delhi: Two FIRs have been registered against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the outgoing President of the Wrestling Federation of India, who is facing allegations of sexual harassment of women wrestlers, at the Connaught Place police station in Delhi. There are complaints of at least 10 cases of demand/molestation for sexual exploitation in 2 FIRs against Brij Bhushan.
The complaint mentions 10 such cases in which there is a complaint of molestation. Top wrestlers had resumed their agitation on April 23 demanding the arrest of Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
According to the FIR lodged against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, touching wrongly, trying to keep hand over chest on pretext or keeping hand, carrying hand from chest to back, stalking are included. The Delhi Police had registered these two FIRs on 28 April. A complaint was filed against him on 21 April.
Both the FIRs against Brijbhushan Sharan Singh are under IPC sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 354A (sexual harassment), 354D (stalking) and 34 (common intention) are registered. 353A has a jail term of one to three years.
The first FIR includes allegations of six adult wrestlers. WFI (WFI) secretary Vinod Tomar is also named in this. The second FIR is based on a complaint by the father of a minor and also invokes Section 10 of the POCSO Act, which carries a jail term of five to seven years. The incidents mentioned in the sexual harassment complaints took place between 2012 and 2022. Sexual harassment was done both in India and abroad.
It has been told in the FIR that Brij Bhushan held him tightly. Pretended to take a picture. Pressed hard on the shoulder and then touched her body in a wrong way. Brijbhushan followed the victim’s complaint despite her refusal.
According to the complaint of 6 adult female wrestlers…
“One day while I was out for dinner in the hotel restaurant, the accused (Singh) called me separately to his dinner table…to my utter shock and surprise and without my consent, placed his hand on my breast and groped me and then slid his hand down to my stomach. To my disbelief, the accused (Singh) did not stop there and again moved his hand upwards to my breast. He groped my breast and then slid down his hand to my stomach and then back to my breast repeatedly for 3-4 times,” another complaint reads.
One of the wrestlers has accused Mr Singh of trying to bribe her by offering to buy her supplements which she may require as an athlete, in exchange for sexual favours. She also said Mr Singh hugged her forcefully when he made her talk to her parents on the phone.
“He made me talk to my parents on the phone, since at that time I did not possess a personal mobile phone…the accused (Mr Singh) called me towards his bed where he was sitting and then all of a sudden, he hugged me forcefully without my permission,” she said.
Another wrestler accused Mr Singh of touching her buttock while posing for a team photograph.
“While I was standing in the last row (for team photograph)… the accused (Singh) came and stood alongside me. I suddenly felt a hand on my buttock. I was stunned by the actions of the accused (Singh) while they were highly indecent and objectionable and without my consent… when I tried moving away, I was forcibly held by my shoulder,” she said.
Vinod Tomar, Secretary of the wrestling federation, has also been accused by one of the wrestlers of forcing himself on her inside his Delhi office.
“On my visit to the federation office… I was called into the room of the accused (Mr Tomar)… my brother, who was accompanying me, was categorically asked to stay back…The accused (Mr Tomar), upon the departure of other persons, closed the door… pulled me towards himself and tried making forceful physical contact with me,” the complainant has said.
Both the FIRs cite IPC Sections 354 (assault or criminal force to a woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 354A (sexual harassment), 354D (stalking) and 34 (common intention), which carry a jail term of one to three years.
The FIR based on the complaint of a minor’s father also invokes Section 10 of the Protection Of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO), which entails five to seven years of imprisonment.
The father said Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, “on the pretext of taking a picture with my daughter, forcefully pulled her towards himself and held her so tightly by her arms that she could not move or free herself from his grip.”
“…the accused further squeezed her towards himself and pressed really hard on her shoulder, and then deliberately slid his hand down her shoulder and brushed his hands against her breasts. While doing so, he also told her that ‘tu mereko support kar, main tereko support karunga. Mere sath touch me rehna’ (You support me, and I will support you. Keep in touch with me),” the minor’s father further said.
“She clearly told the accused (Mr Singh) she had already told him that she was not interested in having any sort of physical relationship and that he should stop stalking her…,” the minor’s complaint added.
