AS EARLY as in February, the wrestlers had flagged their allegations of sexual harassment in opposition to WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh whereas deposing earlier than the Oversight Committee arrange by the federal government.
But, whereas the Delhi Police discovered Singh “liable to be prosecuted and punished for offences” on the idea of the identical allegations, the Oversight Committee didn’t increase a single crimson flag or advocate police motion in its report submitted to the Sports Ministry in April.
The six-member committee, led by former boxing World Champion Mary Kom, was arrange on January 23, within the wake of the primary protests in January, and it held hearings in February.
Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh on the Constitution Club in New Delhi on Thursday. (PTI)
On April 24, the federal government launched the committee’s “major findings”, which, whereas highlighting structural lapses throughout the federation, together with the absence of an Internal Complaints Committee, remained silent on the allegations in opposition to Singh.
This regardless of a dozen gamers, coaches and help workers both accusing Singh of sexual harassment or corroborating the allegations.
Following the shortage of motion, and their lack of religion within the committee, wrestlers Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia returned to Jantar Mantar on April 23, the place they continued to protest for practically two months. They known as off their stir final month, following conferences with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Sports Minister Anurag Thakur who assured expedited investigation.
The contents of the probe committee’s report are talked about in toto within the Delhi Police chargesheet, and have been submitted as an annexure.
During the deposition, one wrestler complained that Singh touched her “stomach and chest 3-4 times and continued to comment on her breathing pattern”. “She felt very traumatised by this act and was unable to eat properly. Being young, she was unable to muster courage to speak up,” the committee famous.
This sample was repeated on a couple of wrestler, it mentioned. Another wrestler claimed that Singh pulled her in direction of him and put “his arms around her waist” whereas images had been being taken when she gained the gold medal at a home event final 12 months, mentioned the report.
A 3rd wrestler claimed that when group images had been being taken throughout a range trial final 12 months, Singh “touched her… behind, which made her feel very uncomfortable”, it mentioned.
One wrestler additionally instructed the committee that she felt “uncomfortable” with the behaviour of nationwide staff coaches who hugged her and carried her on their shoulders. When a committee member mentioned this was a “prevalent” customized in wrestling, the athlete replied that she was not snug with such behaviour, the panel famous.
The wrestler mentioned this was verbally dropped at the eye of Sports of Authority of India officers after the World Championships in 2022. The report mentioned this was “brought to the notice of CEO TOPS (Target Olympic Podium Scheme) and was under consideration”.
Apart from Mary Kom, the opposite members of the committee had been London Olympics bronze medal-winning wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt, former badminton participant Trupti Murgunde, former SAI govt director Radhica Sreeman, former chief govt of the Target Olympic Podium Scheme Rajesh Rajgopalan, and former wrestler Babita Phogat.
