New Delhi: Ace grappler Sakshi Malik on Monday said that the protesting wrestlers met Union Home Minister Amit Shah at his official residence in the national capital. She also refuted reports that claimed that the minor wrestler has taken back her complaint against the WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharma, saying "all this is fake."
Speaking to ANI, the top wrestler said, "We met Union Home Minister Amit Shah, it was a normal conversation, we have only one demand and that is to arrest him (Brij Bhushan Singh). I have not stepped back from the protest, I have resumed my work as OSD in Railways. I want to clarify that we will keep protesting until we get justice. We will not step back. She (minor girl) has not taken back any FIR, all this is fake."
Notably, the protesting wrestlers are demanding the arrest of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief who has been accused of sexual harassment by seven female wrestlers, including a minor.
She also refuted claims of withdrawing from wrestlers' protest after joining the railway duty. She said that she is fulfilling her responsibility in Railways along with Satyagraha. "This news is completely wrong. In the fight for justice, none of us has backed down, nor will we. Along with Satyagraha, I am fulfilling my responsibility in Railways. Our fight continues till justice is served. Please don't spread any wrong news," Malik said in a tweet.
After Malik, Bajrang Punia also refuted the claims and called them "rumours."
Punia took to Twitter and said, "The news of withdrawing the movement is just a rumour. These news are being spread to harm us. We have neither retreated nor have we withdrawn the movement. The news of women wrestlers raising FIR is also false. The fight will continue till justice is served".
FIR against WFI chief Brij Bhushan
On April 28, Delhi Police filed two FIRs against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh on charges of sexual harassment levelled against him by six adult wrestlers and the father of a minor wrestler.
In the FIR, the wrestlers' narrated several alleged instances of sexual harassment, inappropriate touching, groping, stalking, and intimidation by him at different times and places including in foreign countries, over a decade.
The complaint by the minor's father alleged that Singh forcibly pulled his daughter towards him and sexually harassed her after which she was "completely disturbed and haunted".
Some of the complainants also alleged that Singh made advances to seek "sexual favours" promising to help them in their professional careers.
The FIR registered based on the complaint of the minor's father invokes the POCSO Act which entails a prison term of up to seven years on conviction.
The FIRs registered following a Supreme Court order have charged Singh under various IPC sections including assaulting a woman to outrage her modesty (Section 354), sexual harassment (354 A), stalking (354 D) that are punishable with jail terms of two-three years.