Filing FIR against Brij Bhushan first step towards victory but protest will continue: Wrestlers
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Delhi Police, told a bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice P S Narasimha that the FIR would be registered on Friday.
FollowThe Delhi Police apprised the Supreme Court that it has decided to register an FIR on Friday over sexual harassment allegations levelled by seven women wrestlers against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Delhi Police, told a bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice P S Narasimha that the FIR would be registered today.
"We have decided to register an FIR. It will be registered today," Mehta told the bench, which was hearing a plea filed by seven women wrestlers alleging non-registration of an FIR on their sexual harassment allegations against Singh.
The bench also directed the Delhi Police commissioner to make an assessment of the threat perception and provide adequate security to one of the minor girls, who is an alleged victim of the sexual assault.
However, the country's top wrestlers, who have been on a sit-in protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi since Sunday over the matter, have said, "Filing of FIR against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh is first step towards victory but protest will continue."
"We don't trust Delhi Police, it might file a loose FIR," the protesting wrestlers added.
Decorated wrestlers Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik are the three central characters in the renewed protests against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president, who has been accused of sexual harassment and intimidation by the grapplers.
Meanwhile, Somvir Rathi, husband of Vinesh Phogat said, "We decided to buy mattresses. I bought 80 mattresses from my village Kharkhoda by paying Rs 50,000. We were being charged Rs 12,000 a day for all the mattresses. That's a huge sum. Initially, we had taken speakers and microphones on rent, but one-day cost was Rs 12,000. It was too much. Now we have bought our own sound system from Chandni Chowk market for Rs 60,000. The shopkeeper was nice. He knew that athletes are on the road so he gave us the system on a not-for-profit basis."
