Protesting Wrestlers Meet Amit Shah, Demand Chargesheet Against WFI Chief

Protesting wrestlers, Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik, and Bajrang Punia met Home Minister Amit Shah at his residence and discussed the ongoing protest against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. The WFI chief has been accused of sexually harassing seven women wrestlers, including a minor.

As per reports, the protesting wrestlers demanded an early chargesheet against the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) leader Brij Bhushan Singh. During the late-night meeting with Amit Shah, he reportedly assured the wrestlers that the law remains the same for everyone and asked them to let the law take its course.

Reportedly, the meeting began at 11 pm and lasted for over an hour.

Suggested Reading: Protesting Wrestlers Issue 5-Day Ultimatum, Brij Bhushan Singh Responds

Protesting Wrestlers Meet Amit Shah

The meeting came days after the wrestlers travelled to Haridwar to immerse their medals in the Ganga River.

However, Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait intervened and gave an ultimatum to the government for Singh's arrest.

The protesting wrestlers had earlier spoken with Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur. He had assured the wrestlers a fair probe into the allegations against the WFI chief.

On May 28, while the new Parliament building was being inaugurated the protesting wrestlers were detained as they attempted to march toward the building. They had been protesting at Jantar Mantar in Delhi until the Delhi Police cleared the site.

Two FIRs were filed against Brij Bhushan Singh, one FIR mentioned the allegations filed by the minor athlete's father and the other mentioned the allegation made by the six athletes.

The minor wrestler alleged that the WFI chief purposefully touched her inappropriately. She also claimed that she had to explicitly tell him not to stalk her and that she was not interested in having a physical relationship with Singh.

The minor athlete further alleged that the harassment took place between 2012 and 2022.

The FIR filed by the minor was lodged under Section 10 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act. The FIR under the POCSO Act can lead to five to seven years of imprisonment.