Delhi Police have served separate notices under section 91 of the Code of Criminal Procedure to the wrestlers and asked them to provide photos, audio, and video as evidence for their allegations.
NEW DELHI: The Delhi Police has reportedly asked women wrestlers to provide them with proof of the sexual harassment meted out to them allegedly by the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
According to a report, the Delhi Police have served separate notices under section 91 of the Code of Criminal Procedure to them and asked them to provide photos, audio, and video as evidence for their allegations.
Seven women wrestlers, including one minor, had levelled serious allegations of sexual harassment against the WFI chief and accordingly, two FIRs were registered by the Delhi Police.
In one of the FIRs, the complainant wrestler stated that during an overseas championship in 2018 when she was stretching and warming up on the ground on a mat, Singh allegedly came there and stood beside her, watching her.
“While I was lying down on the mat, the accused came near me and suddenly, to my shock and surprise, leaned in on me and in the absence of my coach and without seeking my permission pulled up my t-shirt and placed his hand on my breast and slid it down my stomach on the pretext of ‘examining/checking my breathing and touched me inappropriately,” a wrestler’s complaint in the FIR read.
The news of police asking the victims and witnesses to furnish evidence to support their allegations was deprecated by several people and politicians. Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal took a dig at the Delhi Police’s request and remarked that victims of sexual assault must now be prepared to record the assaults they face.
“Police wants video, audio, call recordings, WhatsApp chats as proof. Now victims should be ready to click on the camera and have someone ready to record the assault. For that the assaults will have to take place after notice to victims,” Sibal tweeted.
Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi asking him that will he remain silent over the issue.
“So from today onwards every girl should start roaming around with a camera on her every time. Because if you do not have the audio-video of the crime then nothing has happened to you. Anurag Thakur and Amit Shah were bragging about following this due process,” Shrinate said.
Delhi Police is now at the last stage of their investigation as the Sports Minister had fixed a deadline of June 15 for filing a chargesheet in the said case.