Delhi Police investigation should settle wrestling allegations quickly

The investigation by the Delhi Police into complaints that wrestlers, including a minor, were subject to sexual harassment by wrestling federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and other officials should hopefully thoroughly probe allegations well ahead of top competitions like Hangzhou Aslyian Games later this year where India would hope to win medals.

An oversight committee formed by the ministry of sports in January headed by Olympian M C Mary Kom was expanded to include members who met the approval of the protesting wrestlers. The committee has submitted its report and this has been shared with the Delhi Police. It is understood that the committee met several people including the wrestlers and persons named as victims.

The statements were corroborated with the persons named by the wrestlers during their dispositions, proceedings were videographed to ensure transparency and fairness in findings. The wrestlers, Bajrang Punia. Sakshi Malik and Vinesh Phogat, who restarted their protests have expressed dissatisfaction with the committee and demanded the arrest of Singh who has stepped aside from running the federation.

While government feels it is unfair to cast aspersions on the functioning and integrity of the oversight committee and sources said the report cannot be released owing to it dealing with allegations of sexual harassment. Complicating matters is the need to conduct elections to the WFI with one competition already moved out of India. Question marks over the legal status of the federation can adversely affect participation and imparts urgency to resolving the matter.

The composition of the oversight committee cannot by itself be questioned as it comprised of Mary Kom, Olympic medallist Yogeshwar Dutt, former badminton national player and commentatorTrupti Murgunde, Olympian Babita Phogat, Radhica Sreeman who was executive director at SAI, and Rajesh Rajagopalan, ex- CEO TOPS (Target Olympic Podium Scheme). If reports that the allegations levelled could not be confirmed after interactions with concerned persons is true, then this must speedily be brought into public notice. If it is the other way round, the police probe must end in charges being filed.

The oversight committee did find some lacunae such as absence of a duly constituted internal complaints committee under the Prevention of Sexual Harassment Act, 2013, and lack of an adequate mechanism for grievance redressal. There is a need for greater transparency and consultation, the committee has noted. But did the wrestlers or anyone else present specific allegations? And what did the committee conclude?

The working of the WFI, as is the case with many other federations, has been a platform for political rivalries too. Singh has accused former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda of instigating the wrestlers and the former has threatened a defamation suit. The protest does have a “Haryana” flavour with Singh’s camp claiming control of the federation is a key objective of the protestors.

The ministry of sports and youth affairs in an order dated April 24 declared the election process initiated by WFI as null and void and asked the Indian Olympic Association to constitute a transitory committee to conduct the election of the WFI executive committee within 45 days of its formation and, most importantly, manage selection of athletes and entries for participation in international events.

Delhi Police on April 23 asked the ministry details of the oversight committee’s work and on April 25 requested documents relating to complaints and statements of women wrestlers regarding allegations of sexual harassment against Singh and findings of the oversight committee. The ministry sent the report on April 26. The Delhi Police investigations can be expected to be thorough since the matter is now under the notice of the Supreme Court.

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Rajeev Deshpande

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