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After a strenuous six-month-long battle, the Delhi police finally filed a chargesheet last week against the BJP MP and Wrestling Federation chief, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh for molestation, sexual harassment and stalking charges against the wrestlers. The 1500-page chargesheet filed against Singh comprises the collective testimonies of six wrestlers, statements provided by 70-80 witnesses, and various forms of technical evidence, including photographs, videos, and call detail records. The police have reportedly referenced photo and video evidence to support and validate the complaints. The police have mentioned each complaint separately in the charge sheet since the six wrestlers stated multiple incidents in their complaints. For each complaint, the police have cited corroborating witnesses, photographs or videos. Out of the six complaints, they have attached photographic evidence in four. The evidence included photos from medal ceremonies, group photos and other events.
Unfortunately, the police, meanwhile, also filed a cancellation report in the POCSO Act case against Singh since the minor complainant retracted her statement before a magistrate. Reacting to the cancellation of the report, Sakshi Malik said, “There was pressure and threats on the family is what I have heard. Her father is broken. It is now for the Supreme Court to decide what to do.”
What is more appalling in the said case is the delay by the Delhi police in filing the chargesheet and the intervention by the Supreme court directing the police officials to do the needful. This act itself speaks volumes about the clout that Singh enjoys forcing Delhi police not to file the chargesheet.
But kudos to our unrelenting wrestlers for their unprecedented public protest, seeking the intervention of the Supreme court, threatening to submerge their medals in the Ganga. Their resilience is remarkable against the bahubali, who is unperturbed by the protest and anger against him from various political parties, social activists and the Khaps.
Since the ball is now in the court of the additional metropolitan magistrate, it is the test of how effectively this ‘watertight’ case can be prosecuted. Unfortunately, for such cases our sporting federations have failed to set up internal complaint’s committees.
A lot is dependent on the outcome of the case, since it is regarding the safety and the security of our young aspiring girls who want to make a name for themselves in the field of sports. Because if it takes so much to listen to the plight of our star Olympic medal winner wrestlers of their agony and pain, the lesser-known players might give a thought of pursuing a sporting career.
