India's wrestlers have said they may have to take some "hard calls" on deciding their next step in their long-running protest against the former head of the Wrestling Federation of India Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. Their protests had led to Delhi Police filing a chargesheet on Friday against Singh, an MP from the BJP, and the wrestlers say they will need time to study the charges before commenting on them.
"We may have to take some hard calls in a day or two. For now, we have decided to put out protest on hold," Sakshi Malik, one of those at the forefront of the protests since January, told Hindustan Times.
Malik also questioned the conduct of the Delhi Police after they requested the court to drop the POSCO charge on Singh "based upon statements of the complainant i.e., the father of the victim and the victim herself".
"In the POCSO case, if Brij Bhushan was arrested when the minor's statement was (first) recorded before a magistrate, then the minor would not have withdrawn the complaint. And not only that. Other girls would have also come forward and complained (about sexual harassment). There was pressure and threats is what I have heard. The court will have to decide what to do (with the statement)," she told The Indian Express.
Delhi Police have charged Singh and his aide and former wrestling federation secretary Vinod Tomar with assault and sexual harassment and also abetment and intimidation.
The police also said, "In the POCSO matter, after completion of investigation, we have submitted a police report under section 173 Cr PC requesting for a cancellation of the case based upon statements of the complainant i.e., the father of the victim and the victim herself." This matter will be next heard in court on July 4.
The wrestlers' protests against Singh, which began in January of this year and resumed once more in April, reached a dramatic climax on May 28, when Bajrang, Sakshi, Vinesh and their supporters were forcibly detained during a protest march that coincided with the inauguration of the new Parliament.
It led to the trio then announcing their intentions to dispose of their Olympic, World Championship, Asian and Commonwealth Games medals in the Ganga river at Haridwar, as well as a 'fast-unto-death' at India Gate. However, with the leaders of the farmers' union and khap panchayats intervening, the wrestlers were convinced against immersing their medals, with five days sought to seek justice.
United World Wrestling (UWW), the international governing body of wrestling also released a statement condemning the treatment of India's wrestlers while also threatening a ban of the WFI unless new elections were held. The International Olympic Council (IOC) also released a statement in support of the wrestlers and urged the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) to safeguard their athletes.