NEW DELHI: The protesting group of wrestlers, led by Olympians Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat and Sakshee Malikkh, are disappointed at the Delhi police recommendation to close the POCSO case against former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, but have ruled out immediate return to the protest site here. They want to first discuss the matter with their legal team.
One of the wrestlers told TOI on the condition of anonymity that the time has come to take “really tough calls” to decide the future course of action. They had suspended their nearly one-and-a-half-month-long agitation for a week — till June 15 — at the request of the government.
The government had assured them the police would file its chargesheet against Singh by June 15, but remained non-commital on his arrest over the charges of sexual harassment of six women wrestlers – a non-negotiable demand of the protesting group.
“We are disappointed and sad that the police have recommended dropping of POCSO charges against Brij Bhushan. However, this fight will not stop here, it will continue. We may not immediately return to protest but we are not backing down. This fight will continue till Brij Bhushan is arrested. The time has come to take some really tough calls. We have to decide what direction we need to give to our protest. It can’t go on like this,” the wrestler said.
Another wrestler who has been actively involved in the protest said that they will study the chargesheet and discuss it with their lawyers before deciding the way ahead. “We are disappointed. We knew that the case would be weakened ever since the minor’s father backed out. We are not sure whether we would get relief from the lower courts. But we are ready for the long legal process ahead,” the wrestler said.
It’s been learnt that while Sakshee remained at her railways apartment in central Delhi, Bajrang held lengthy discussions with the legal team here after the chargesheet was filed on Thursday morning. Vinesh, it’s been learnt, was at her family home in Haryana’s Balali village.
Meanwhile, Brij Bhushan has been mulling filing separate defamation cases against at least five protesting wrestlers and is waiting for the legal process into the case to conclude, close associates of the outgoing WFI chief told TOI. Brij Bhushan’s lawyers have suggested that he should go ahead with defamation suit after his case is decided.
It was also learnt that a proposed meeting of khaps from Delhi and Haryana region on Thursday evening was abruptly called off after the wrestlers didn’t respond to calls from Chaudhary Surender Solanki, who is 'pradhan' of Palam 360 khap.
