New Delhi: Representatives of eight women’s bodies have submitted a memorandum to the Delhi Commissioner of Police, Sanjay Arora, asking sharp questions on why law enforcement has decided to undertake a preliminary enquiry before filing an FIR against Bharatiya Janata Party MP and Wrestling Federation of India president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, based on the complaints of sexual harassment filed by top wrestlers of the country.
The wrestlers, who include Olympics, Commonwealth and world championships medal winners, have been sitting in at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi since last weekend. Indian Express has reported how Worlds’ medallist Vinesh Phogat has pointed to the silence of top cricketers on the matter.
One of India’s most successful Olympians, javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, tweeted a note on Friday, saying, “What’s happening should never happen.”
— Neeraj Chopra (@Neeraj_chopra1) April 28, 2023
India’s only other Olympic gold medallist, Abhinav Bindra, had tweeted his support to the wrestlers on April 26.
A day ago, Indian Olympic Association (IOA) chief P.T. Usha had said the ongoing protest by wrestlers was “not good for the game and the country”, and told them to wait until the report of a committee that is looking into their allegations was made public. She said the protest “amounts to indiscipline,” leading the wrestlers’ and several other commentators to note that they were disappointed by her stand.
Representatives of women’s bodies protest against the Delhi Police’s decision to not file an FIR on the wrestlers’ complaint against BJP’s Brij Bhushan Singh, before a preliminary enquiry. Photo: By arrangement.
On April 27, representatives led a protest in the national capital and some of them were detained by police.
The letter notes that the women’s organisations are “appalled at the unabashed refusal of Delhi Police in filing the FIR as is mandated by law.”
“Here’s a complaint of sexual harassment, Mr CP, by India’s star women wrestlers of international fame, who have brought laurels to the country. How are we projecting India when our top sportswomen, including Olympic medallists who bring honour and prestige to the country by winning medals internationally are forced to sit in dharna demanding justice.”
The signatories are representatives from the All India Democratic Women’s Association, the All India Mahila Sanskritik Sangathan, the All India Progressive Women’s Association, the Centre for Struggling Women, the National Federation of Indian Women, the Pragatisheel Mahila Sangathan, the Purogami Mahila Sangathan Sucharita and the Swastik Mahila Samiti Kusum Sehgal.
The memorandum further says that when the wrestlers had last protested in January of this year, they had ended the protest after having been assured of an investigation.
“The investigation that turned out to be anything but transparent. They, therefore, had no choice but to come back asking for the report of the oversight committee which probed the wrestlers’ allegations. All they demand is a fair investigation.”
The letter also slams the apparent motives of law enforcers.
“The sexual harassment by the WFI chief and some other coaches employed by WFI is deeply concerning. Instead of supporting women (remember “beti bachao,…”), what we see is a callous attitude and deaf ears to their deafening cries for justice. All this for shielding a politician of the ruling dispensation?
It poses two vital questions to the Commissioner of Police:
1. Since when have we decided to first conduct a preliminary investigation before an FIR is filed?
2. Isn’t an FIR itself a preliminary first step towards proceeding with the case?
Registering their outrage the representatives have demanded the registration of an FIR without further delay and fast-tracked investigations into the serious charges, including those under the POCSO Act which deals with sexual harassment of minors.
“The sportswomen and the women of this country are determined not to backtrack on this issue. Remember “nari shakti” that is invoked time and again by the powers that be,” the memorandum notes.