Delhi Police told the Supreme Court today that they will register an FIR against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who has been accused of sexual harassment and intimidation by several women wrestlers.
The apex court is hearing a petition filed by the wrestlers, seeking the registration of an FIR against Singh. "We have decided to register an FIR. It will be registered today,"Â Solicitor General (SG) Tushar Mehta told a bench comprising Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and Justice P.S. Narasimha.
The bench also directed the Delhi Police commissioner to make an assessment of the threat perception and provide adequate security to one of the minor girls, who is an alleged victim of the sexual assault.
India's top wrestlers, including Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat and Sakshee Malikkh, had moved the Supreme Court. They have been holding a sit-in protest since April 23 at Jantar Mantar in Delhi, where, three months ago, they had staged a sit-in protest against Singh. They had ended their protest then after Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur announced a five-member oversight committee, headed by boxer M.C. Mary Kom, to look into allegations against Singh.
Sports fraternity lends support to wrestlers
The Indian sporting fraternity on Friday put its weight behind the protesting wrestlers with Olympic gold medallist Neeraj Chopra leading the way with a plea for "quick action" to ensure that justice is served.
Besides champion javelin thrower Chopra, ace boxer Nikhat Zareen, tennis star Sania Mirza, hockey player Rani Rampal, former cricketers Virender Sehwag, Harbhajan Singh, Irfan Pathan, Madan Lal and Navjot Singh Sidhu also came out in support of the wrestlers.
They expressed their views a day after Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president P.T. Usha came down heavily on the wrestlers for hitting the streets to resume their protests instead of approaching its athletes' commission.
Also backing the wrestlers were cricket legend Kapil Dev and six-time Winter Olympian Shiva Keshavan, among others.
Speaking to reporters after an executive committee meeting of the IOA on Thursday, Usha had said, "Our feeling is that for sexual harassment complaints, IOA has a committee and athletes' commission. Instead of going to the street (again), they should have come to us, but they have not at all come to IOA."
The IOA also announced the formation of a three-member committee to run the day-to-day affairs of the WFI and conduct fresh polls within 45 days.
