Wrestlers Protest: Delhi Police records statement of WFI chief in sexual harassment case

Delhi Police has recorded the statement of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who is accused of sexual harassment against female wrestlers, a Police official said on Friday.

The police have also requested some documents from him, the source said, adding that if necessary, further statements will be taken.

Sources reveal that Singh has denied all the allegations levelled against him.

The police have also taken the statement of Assistant Secretary of Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), Vinod Tomar, another accused in the case. He has been named in the FIR filed by the Delhi Police.

Additionally, the Delhi Police has formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the matter in-depth. The SIT team has ten officials, including a woman Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP).

"The team has been set up to collect inputs from different states based on complaints filed by female wrestlers," said the official.

Since April 23, prominent Indian wrestlers such as Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik, and Vinesh Phogat, who have achieved Olympic and World Championships recognition, have been staging a protest at Jantar Mantar against WFI chief.

Farmers have also extended their support to wrestlers and had arrived from Haryana and Punjab on Monday to join the wrestlers' protest.

Last month, Delhi Police registered two separate First Information Reports (FIRs) against the WFI chief, based on sexual harassment allegations. The first FIR pertains to the accusations made by a minor and has been filed under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, along with relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code concerning the act of outraging modesty.

The second FIR focuses on comprehensive investigations into the complaints made by adult complainants and involves relevant sections of the IPC related to outraging of modesty.