By Matters India Reporter
New Delhi, May 4, 2023: The Indian Women Press Corps and Press Club of India on May 4 deplored police manhandling a woman journalist near the site of wrestlers protests.
Sakshi Joshi, a digital media editor, had gone to Jantar Mantar, the popular protest site in New Delhi, in the early hours of May 4 to cover the wrestlers’ protests.
The wrestlers have been protesting against sexual harassment charges against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the head of the Wresters Federation of India (WFI). They have demanded his arrest.
The Delhi police personnel roughed up the athletes late at night. Joshi was also reportedly manhandled by the police and detained for several hours. She tweeted videos depicting the events that took place.
Joshi said she was a witness to the scuffle between the wrestlers and the Delhi Police.
One video showed Joshi was first physically prevented by policemen from talking to the wrestlers and then women police subjected her to rough treatment leading to her clothes getting torn.
Joshi was detained and later let off around 1:40 am. She has sent a complaint to Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora demanding an inquiry against the erring police personnel and punishment.
The IWPC and PCI have demanded a probe into the matter and urge strict action against the erring police personnel for their treatment of a woman journalist on assignment.
In January, some 30 wrestlers, including Olympic medalists, staged a sit-in accusing Singh and its coaches of sexually harassing female players for years, demanding disbanding of the federation. The protests were called off in January after the government promised to create an oversight committee to investigate the allegations.
The wrestlers resumed their protests on April 23 at Jantar Mantar, demanding Singh’s arrest and making the government committee’s report public. They alleged that nothing has been done to resolve their issues.
The wrestlers allege that the harassment has been going on since 2012 and cited instances as recent as 2022, with at least four incidents happening at Singh’s bungalow that also serves as the WFI office. The incidents of harassment took place during tournaments as well, even outside India. Separate police complaints were filed by seven wrestlers against Singh.
When no First Information Report was filed by the Delhi police, the complainants approached the Supreme Court. On April 25, the Supreme Court listed the case to be heard three days later, saying the allegations in the petition are serious.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Delhi Police, told the Supreme Court that a preliminary enquiry may be needed before registering the FIR. Kapil Sibal, representing the wrestlers, said the FIR has not been registered as the accused is from the ruling party and the officers refusing to file FIR should be prosecuted.
Two FIRs, one under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses Act and the other for outraging modesty, were filed against Singh by the Delhi Police on April 28 after the Supreme Court hearing.
The oversight committee, led by former boxer Mary Kom, was formed on January 23, and submitted its report to the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports on April 5 after questioning Singh and other witnesses.
Babita Phogat, sister of one of the protesters Vinesh Phogat and part of the committee, alleged that the witnesses’ statements were not cross-verified and the objections by her were not included in the report. The findings of the report are not yet made public, but according to the Press Trust of India, the report gave a clean chit to the accused Singh.