‘Pressure On Family’: Sakshi Malik On POCSO Case Against Brij Bhushan, Wrestlers To Decide Next Step
Wrestler Sakshi Malik spoke on Delhi police's recommendation for dropping the POCSO case against WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and next course of action by wrestlers after chargesheet.
After Delhi Police filed a Cancellation report in the Protection Of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO Act) case against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, Olympian Sakshi Malik on Friday claimed that the minor complainant's family was under "a lot of pressure". The remark comes as according to sources, the minor wrestler has withdrawn the allegations of sexual harassment and retracted her statement. The minor had spoken of sexual harassment in her first statement given before the magistrate. In the second statement, however, the minor withdrew the allegation saying, "I was not selected, I had worked very hard. I was in depression, so I had filed a case of sexual harassment in anger."
Speaking on the Delhi police recommendation for dropping POCSO charges against the BJP MP, Sakshi Malik said: "Police has removed the POCSO charge. But according to what we have heard, the Supreme Court decides which statement it will accept. We have been saying that her (minor wrestler's) father, her entire family are under a lot of pressure. He said in an interview that he was under pressure. Now, it is understood that they have broken down due to it."
On Delhi Police's chargesheet, she said that Brij Bhushan has been named as "guilty" and the wrestlers are waiting to access the complete report before deciding on the next course of action. "The chargesheet clearly states that he is guilty but our lawyer has filed an application so that he gets his hands on the chargesheet at the earliest so that we can find out the charges. After that, we will see whether those charges are correct or not. Our next step would come once we see everything - whether the promises that were made are being fulfilled or not. We are waiting," she told ANI.
The Olympian reiterated the wrestlers' demand for the reconstitution of WFI, without any family members of the outgoing chief as its members. "We demand that no one from Brijbhushan's family should be elected. We demand constituting a new federation," she stressed.
#WATCH | He has been named in the chargesheet submitted by police yesterday. In the minor's case, it is clear that there is a lot of pressure on the family. We will decide on the further course of action after our remaining demands are met by the govt," says wrestler Sakshee… pic.twitter.com/y3rjJluWeN
— ANI (@ANI) June 16, 2023
Wrestlers' Demand Over Allegations Against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh
At a meeting last week, the wrestlers put forth four demands — the arrest of WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, withdrawal of FIRs against the wrestlers, removal of Brij Bhushan and any of his family members from the WFI, and appointment of a woman president in the apex wrestling body.
The sports minister has so far agreed to one of these demands, that of withdrawal of FIRs. Anurag Thakur also said that an internal grievance redressal committee will be formed in the WFI and this should be headed by a woman.
The wrestlers have been demanding a probe against WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and his arrest, accusing him of sexually exploiting upcoming wrestlers, including a minor.
The Delhi Police had filed two FIRs against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. The first FIR relates to allegations by the minor wrestler and was registered under the POCSO Act while the second is related to outraging modesty. The FIRs narrate several alleged instances of sexual harassment, inappropriate touching, groping, stalking, and intimidation by Singh at different times and places over a decade.
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