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Six months since the start of the protests to get justice against the outgoing WFI president, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh on sexual harassment allegations, the wrestlers have decided to call off their protests and take their fight to the courts instead of the streets. In a joint statement issued by ace Indian grapplers Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia, who were at the forefront of the protest mentioned that Delhi Police filed a chargesheet after an investigation based on FIRs by six female wrestlers.
“Implementing the assurances government had made to protesting wrestlers on 7 June’s meeting, in the matter of female wrestlers’ sexual harassment, Delhi Police completed an investigation based on FIRs lodged by six female wrestlers and filed a chargesheet on 15 June. This fight will now continue in the court and not on the streets, until justice is delivered to us,” the wrestlers’ statement, issued on Sunday, 25 June, read.
The statement further said that they will all wait for the implementation of the assurances made by the government regarding the WFI elections, to be held next month. “In terms of the Wrestling Federation of India’s reformation, the election procedure has started in accordance with the promises. The election is scheduled for 11 July, and we will wait for the implementation of assurances made by the government in this regard,” the statement further mentioned.
Shortly after issuing the joint statement, Sakshi Malik and Vinesh Phogat informed on Twitter that they will be taking a break from social media.
After the protest at Jantar Mantar was forcefully ended on May 28 by Delhi Police, the wrestlers were assured by the Union Sports Minister, Anurag Thakur, that a chargesheet will be filed by June 15. After the wrestlers were detained by the police for disrupting law and order, farmer leaders, khaps, and panchayats jumped to support the Indian athletes and United World Wrestling even threatened WFI’s suspension if elections were not held soon.
The wrestlers arrived at Jantar Mantar for the first time for a sit-in protest in January. All the wrestlers will now move into training for the trials for the Asian Games and World Championships and hence asked for some extra time and delay the said trials after August 10.
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