India: Police charge wrestling chief with sexual harassment

Indian police said on Thursday that they filed sexual harassment charges against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the chief of the wrestlers' federation. 

The Delhi police said in a statement that "after completion of investigation" they filed a chargesheet "against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh." 

Singh is a powerful politician and belongs to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), India's ruling party. He has helmed the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) since 2011.

In January, after allegations of sexual harassment surfaced against him, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) formed a panel to investigate them. 

 

Singh's continuous denial of the accusation

Singh has denied the allegations leveled against him. When the accusations first surfaced, he told the media that if a single allegation was proved right, "I will hang myself." 

He claimed that the complaints against him were to smear his reputation and force him out of the Indian parliament. 

Despite calls for him to step down from his position as the WFI president, he has refused to do so. 

According to a report by the Hindustan Times, Singh told the reporters that while a "resignation is no big deal," if he resigns "it will mean that I have accepted their (wrestlers) allegations."  

Indian Sports Minister Anurag Singh Thakur had said the probe would be completed in four weeks. But although the inquiry report was ready in April, the findings were not made public.

Vinesh Phogat, a triple Commonwealth Games gold medalist, accused Thakur of "trying to suppress" the case.

Delays, threats and allegations of intimidation

On May 29, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the new Indian parliament building, the protests led by the wrestlers intensified. 

Olympic medalists Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik were detained by the police when they attempted to march toward the parliament. Cases were filed against them for violating the law and order. 

Days later, the wrestlers threatened that they would "immerse" their medals in the holy Ganga river to mark their disappointment in the system.

However, after the tearful wrestlers gathered by the river, an influential leader of the farmers union met the wrestlers and convinced them to postpone the immersion.

Initially, Singh had been accused of harassment by seven female wrestlers, including a minor. After the meeting with Shah, the Indian Express reported that the minor withdrew her allegations against the WFI chief. 

When the protests began in January, Vinesh Phogat said many wrestlers who had been allegedly harassed were intimidated into not coming forward.

Modi has been criticized for keeping quiet on the issue.

ns/fb (AFP, Reuters)