by Peerzada Arshad Hamid
NEW DELHI, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Indian police on Friday informed the Supreme Court that a case will be filed against the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brijbhushan Sharan Singh over the complaints by women wrestlers about alleged sexual harassment.
"We have decided to register the first information report (FIR), we will register it today," Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta told the Supreme Court.
This came amid the ongoing protest from several award-winning wrestlers who are camping at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi and had threatened they would not move until a case is registered against Singh.
On Wednesday, police told the Supreme Court that some kind of preliminary probe was needed before it could proceed with the registration of an FIR against Singh.
Seven women wrestlers have made allegations of sexual harassment against Singh, a charge denied by him.
The wrestlers had approached the Supreme Court for an urgent hearing into their request seeking a case against Singh, who is also a lawmaker from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The wrestlers first sat on protest against Singh in January this year. However, they called off protests after the government promised to investigate their complaints.
The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) also announced a seven-member panel to investigate the allegations against Singh.
Alleging inaction on their complaint, the wrestlers resumed their protest this week and sought solidarity from people, especially politicians, in their fight.
Many prominent sportspersons have come out to support the wrestlers.
Neeraj Chopra, who won India's first-ever Olympic gold medal in javelin at Tokyo 2020, said, "It hurts me to see our athletes on the streets demanding justice. As a nation, we are responsible for safeguarding the integrity and dignity of every individual, athlete or not."
"What's happening should never happen. This is a sensitive issue, and must be dealt with in an impartial and transparent manner," Chopra added.
India's woman tennis star Sania Mirza also came out in support of the protesting wrestlers.
"As an athlete but more as a woman this is too difficult to watch. They've brought laurels to our country and we have all celebrated them, with them. If you have done that then it's time to now stand with them in this difficult time too," she writes. "This is a highly sensitive matter and serious allegations. I hope whatever the truth is justice is served. Sooner rather than later."
Meanwhile, the protesting wrestlers on Friday demanded the "immediate arrest" of Singh.
"We still don't have trust in Delhi police. We've been here for six days. An FIR should not take so long so we won't trust them so easily this time. We still demand that he (Brijbhushan Sharan Singh) be put behind bars," Vinesh Phogat, the first Indian female wrestler who won golds at both the Commonwealth and Asian Games, told media. ■
