Wrestlers withdraw protest, vow to continue legal channel instead

After more than six months of staging a protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar, a group of wrestlers has decided to end their demonstration against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the sidelined chief of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), whom they accused of sexually harassing sportswomen.

In a statement shared on social media, the wrestlers stated that they would continue their fight against Singh but through legal channels instead of street protests. They also mentioned that they would await the implementation of assurances made by the government, particularly in relation to the upcoming election of the new president and executive committee of the WFI, scheduled for July 11.

The Delhi Police have filed a chargesheet of 1,500 pages against Singh, charging him with offenses under sections 354 (assault or criminal force with intent to outrage modesty), 354A (sexual harassment), and 354D (stalking) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The charges related to the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act were dismissed after a second statement from the minor wrestler.

Apart from Singh, Vinod Tomar, the suspended assistant secretary of the WFI, has also been charged with abetment and criminal intimidation under sections 109 and 506, respectively.

Before announcing the end of their protest, the wrestlers sent a letter to the Sports Minister, Anurag Thakur, requesting additional time to prepare for the Asian Games and World Wrestling Championships trials.

The wrestlers also asked for the trials to be conducted after August 10, 2023. The athletes involved in the protest, namely Sakshi Malik, Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat, Satyawart Kadian, Sangeeta Phogat, and Jitender Kumar, explained the need for sufficient preparation time.

IOA relaxed rules

Earlier, the ad-hoc committee of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) announced that the protesting wrestlers would participate in single-bout trials, meaning they would only need to win one match against a first-round winner to secure their spots.

However, this decision drew criticism from Yogeshwar Dutt, a 2012 Olympic medalist, prompting a strong response from the protesting wrestlers. Vinesh Phogat, who stated that she would take a break from social media, accused Dutt of supporting Singh, while Bajrang Punia accused Dutt of spreading negativity through social media.