Probe Against WFI Chief To Be Completed by 15 June: Anurag Thakur to Wrestlers

After meeting the wrestlers, Union Minister Anurag Thakur said that the new WFI chief will be elected by 30 June.

Wrestlers demanding the arrest of WFI chief Brij Bhushan Singh during a protest march in New Delhi. 

(Photo: PTI)

After a meeting with Union Sports Minister Anurag Singh Thakur on Wednesday, 7 June, wrestler Bajrang Punia said, "We had a discussion on some issues. Police investigation should be completed by 15 June and the minister has requested us not to hold protests until then."

"He also said the security of female wrestlers will be taken care of. We have requested that all FIRs against wrestlers should be taken back and he has agreed to it," he added.

Meanwhile, Thakur announced, "The election of the new Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief will be done by 30 June."

Earlier, wrestlers Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik had demanded the appointment of a woman chief of the WFI.

The wrestlers met Thakur after the latter invited them for talks earlier in the day. "The government is willing to have a discussion with the wrestlers on their issues. I have once again invited the wrestlers for the same," he had said on Twitter.

While Malik earlier said that the decision to hold talks would be taken only after deliberations, she reached Thakur's residence shortly after Punia.

The wrestlers are said to have raised five demands in their meeting with Thakur, which include free and fair elections for the post of WFI chief and the barring of Brij Bhushan Singh or his family members from being part of the wrestling body, NDTV reported.

This comes days after a delegation of the wrestlers met Home Minister Amit Shah at his official residence and demanded a strong chargesheet against Brij Bhushan Singh over sexual harassment allegations against him.

Wrestlers Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik along with several coaches are said to have attended the meeting, which lasted for around two hours and ended after midnight.

The wrestlers had earlier threatened to throw their medals into the Ganga river, but momentarily halted their plans and gave a five-day ultimatum to the Centre to arrest the WFI chief.

Meanwhile, two FIRs have been filed against Brij Bhushan Singh so far, based on complaints of seven woman wrestlers. Some of the key allegations mentioned include demanding sexual favours, inappropriate touching, multiple instances of molestation — including groping, pulling up t-shirts, touching navel and buttock, sliding hands over breasts — and use of blackmail and intimidation tactics such as stalking to silence the players.

The two FIRs — accessed by The Quint — are registered under Sections 354 (assault or criminal force to a woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 354A (sexual harassment), 354D (stalking) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).