Editor
In Short: Sakshi Malik, the Olympic bronze medallist, has withdrawn from the wrestlers' protest against former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. She has returned to her position in the Northern Railway. The wrestlers had met with Home Minister Amit Shah, but the meeting was inconclusive. The protest follows allegations of sexual harassment against Singh, who denies the charges. Further updates are awaited.
She Tweets " In the fight for justice, none of us has backed down, nor will we. Along with Satyagraha, I am fulfilling my responsibility in Railways. Our fight continues till justice is served. Please don't spread any wrong news."
Satyawrat Kadian, the husband of Sakshi Malik, expressed his disappointment with the meeting, stating that the wrestlers did not receive the reaction they had hoped for from the Home Minister. The meeting took place after the wrestlers had previously immersed their medals in the Ganga river at Har ki Pauri as part of their protest against Brij Bhushan. However, the wrestlers agreed to a five-day delay in addressing their grievances after khap and farmer leaders intervened.
Sakshi Malik had previously announced on Twitter that the wrestlers would immerse their medals in the Ganges because they hold significant value to them. She had also stated that if their demands were not met, they would stage a hunger strike until death at India Gate. It should be noted that Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh is accused of sexually harassing several female grapplers, including a minor.
The Delhi Police had registered two FIRs against Singh on April 28 at the Connaught Place police station, including one filed by the father of a minor wrestler invoking the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. These charges carry a maximum prison term of seven years upon conviction. Singh has been charged under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including assault on a woman to outrage her modesty (Section 354), sexual harassment (354A), and stalking (354D), which carry jail terms of two to three years.
B B S Singh has vehemently denied all the allegations, even stating that he would take his own life if a single allegation against him is proven. The situation remains unresolved, and further developments are awaited.