An Olympian, a Commonwealth gold medallist, an international referee, and a state-level coach have all confirmed the allegations made against at least , according to The Indian Express.
These four individuals are among the 125 potential witnesses from four different states whose statements have been recorded by the police.
The Delhi Police registered two FIRs on April 28, with reported instances of demanding “sexual favours” in exchange for professional assistance, as well as incidents of sexual harassment, inappropriate touching, molestation, and intimidation including stalking.
When asked about these four witnesses, Delhi Police spokesperson Suman Nalwa said, “We cannot comment on the investigation in this case or what the evidence is. The investigation is still ongoing. SIT is probing the matter and will submit a report to the court.”
It has been revealed that a coach of one of the complainants informed investigators about the wrestler’s advances just six hours after it took place.
Two women wrestlers, including an Olympian and a Commonwealth medallist, corroborated the claims made by two wrestlers when questioned by Delhi Police. They stated that the complainant informed them about incidents of sexual harassment by Singh one month after it occurred.
A reputed national and international referee told Delhi Police that he had heard about the plight of the women wrestlers while traveling for tournaments at home and abroad.
The Delhi Police formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT), including women police personnel, which sought details from the WFI about those present at a tournament where the incidents of sexual harassment had allegedly taken place. Police have also obtained the report of the government-appointed Oversight Committee, chaired by boxer , that was set up to probe the sexual harassment complaints against Singh.
“A list of 158 people was prepared by the SIT and they have visited Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Karnataka to gather evidence and record statements. So far, they have recorded statements of 125 people and four of them corroborated the allegations of three female wrestlers in their statements,” a source said.
After the registration of FIRs, Singh was questioned twice by the SIT and on both occasions, he reportedly denied his involvement, claiming he had been falsely implicated.
The SIT also questioned WFI secretary Vinod Tomar, who is named in the complaints filed by six adult wrestlers, for three to four hours. “So far, all the six women wrestlers and a minor complainant have recorded their statements before a magistrate under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) in which they have corroborated the allegations they have made in their complaints,” a source said.
Seven female wrestlers, including a minor, filed separate complaints of sexual harassment and criminal intimidation against the WFI president at Delhi’s Connaught Place police station on April 21. The wrestlers later approached the Supreme Court, stating that the police were not registering FIRs. Subsequently, the police registered two FIRs.
Top Indian wrestlers, including Olympic medallists Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik, and World Championship medallist Vinesh Phogat, have been protesting at Jantar Mantar since April 23. They have stated that they will end their protest only after Singh is arrested.
Mahender Singh Manral is an Assistant Editor with the national bureau of …
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