The Delhi Police have informed the Supreme Court that they will file a First Information Report (FIR) against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the chief of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), in response to complaints made by a group of wrestlers. The wrestlers, who include accomplished athletes like Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik, and Vinesh Phogat, have been staging a sit-in protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi, where they have been training and sleeping for the past four days. The police’s response was to the notice issued by the apex court in relation to the plea filed by the wrestlers, who are demanding action be taken against the WFI chief.
The court had previously taken note of the serious allegations made in the petition filed by the wrestlers, all of whom have represented India in international competitions. The athletes have garnered support from various current and former sportspersons, including Olympic gold medallist Neeraj Chopra, India women’s hockey captain Rani Rampal, and tennis star Sania Mirza. Chopra tweeted urging authorities to take quick action, while Rampal expressed her sadness at the situation. Mirza demanded that justice be served sooner rather than later.
The wrestlers’ decision to protest on the streets instead of approaching the athletes’ commission of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) to lodge their complaints against the WFI chief has been criticised by P.T. Usha, the IOA’s president. Nonetheless, the grapplers remain steadfast in their demands for justice.
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