Wrestler Protest: Father Admits Filing False Sexual Harassment Case, Wrestlers Temporarily Halt Protests as Sports Minister Steps In

The father of a minor wrestler has retracted allegations of sexual harassment against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the chief of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI).

In a fresh statement recorded before the magistrate on June 5, the father clarified that the previous accusations were "intentionally false".

The father admitted that the allegations were fueled by a desire for revenge after his daughter lost in the final of last year's trials for the Asian Championship. This development comes amidst ongoing protests by leading Indian wrestlers and charges levelled against the BJP MP.

The source of their anger dates to the 2022 Under-17 Asian Championship trials in Lucknow, where the daughter lost the final match and missed out on being selected for the Indian team. 

According to the father, he was furious because his daughter's "year-long hard work had been wasted" due to the referee's decision in the final match.

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He claimed that the bout against a Delhi wrestler did not adhere to the rules set by the United World Wrestling (UWW) and the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI).

The father emphasized that he holds no grudge against the Delhi wrestler, considering her as his daughter, but firmly accused the referee, who also hails from Delhi, of intentionally favoring the opponent.

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It should be noted that the decision to file a complaint against the WFI chief was solely made by the father and not his daughter. He clarified that he informed his daughter about the ongoing discussions and she entrusted him with the responsibility to handle the matter.

As part of the ongoing investigation, the Delhi Police has recorded statements from more than 200 individuals involved in the case. The Sports Minister, Anurag Thakur, has assured the protesting wrestlers that a chargesheet will be filed by June 15. In response, the wrestlers have agreed to suspend their protest until then.

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