Brij Bhushan influencing probe: Wrestler Bajrang Punia

NEW DELHI: Olympic medallists Bajrang Punia and Sakshee Malikkh threatened on Saturday to relaunch their protest at Jantar Mantar here if the Delhi police fail to arrest former Wrestling Federation of India’s (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh by June 15. Earlier this week, the wrestlers had suspended their agitation after receiving assurance from the government that the police will file its chargesheet into the allegations of sexual harassment against Brij Bhushan by June 15.

“If the government fails to arrest Brij Bhushan by June 15, we will relaunch our protest by June 17. The protest will be started atJantar Mantar. There is huge pressure on complainants to change their statements and justice will be ensured only after his arrest. He is influencing the probe and a strong chargesheet is required to put him behind bars. The complainants are receiving threat calls. They are in fear and traumatised,” Bajrang told a news channel on the sidelines of a khap mahapanchayat in Sonepat on Saturday.

“If Brij Bhushan is not arrested immediately by the police, the six other complainants will also be intimidated to change their statements the way the minor wrestler was forced to change her statement. He is a powerful man and the minor girl’s father had already stated that they were under pressure (to retract their statement). I fear the same will happen with the other six female wrestlers,” the Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist added.

Meanwhile, Rio Games bronze winner Sakshee said that the wrestlers will compete at the upcoming Asian Games in Hangzhou only when the entire probe into the allegations of sexual harassment against Brij Bhushan was completed.

“We will participate in the Asian Games only when all these issues are resolved. Yo u can’t understand how mentally exhausting this has become for wrestlers and what we are going through everyday,” Sakshee said. The Indian Olympic Association’s (IOA) twomember ad-hoc committee will be conducting the selection trials for the Asiad by the end of this month to pick the Indian wrestling contingent. All the wrestlers, including those protesting, will be required to compete in the trials to earn a place in the team.