No concrete proof of sexual harassment has been discovered in opposition to Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who was accused of exploitation by the nation’s prime wrestlers, it has been learnt.
In an unprecedented transfer, prime achievers reminiscent of Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik staged a sit-in protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar in January and accused the WFI boss of sexual exploitation and intimidation.
The wrestlers had demanded that WFI be disbanded and its president be eliminated.
The Sports Ministry had fashioned a five-member oversight committee, headed by legendary boxer MC Mary Kom, on January 23 and requested it to submit its findings in a single month.
Later, it prolonged the deadline by two weeks and in addition added Babita Phogat to the probe panel as its sixth member on the insistence of the protesting wrestlers.
The committee submitted its report within the first week of April however the ministry is but to make its findings public.
However, a number of sources confirmed that the wrestlers couldn’t show the sexual harassment allegations in opposition to the WFI boss after a number of hearings.
“The wrestlers couldn’t show their sexual harassment allegations. During the probe, it was alleged that one feminine physio (title withheld) was requested by Brij Bhushan to present him therapeutic massage to deal with his again ache final 12 months in Bulgaria throughout a contest. However, through the listening to, the identical physio denied any such occurring,” a source told PTI on Thursday.
“Instead, she revealed that all Brij Bhushan wanted was a pain killer for headache and when she offered one, and was accompanied by a female coach at that time, the WFI boss even refused to take tablet ‘disprin’.
“It was male coach Anil who had actually helped Brij Bhushan.” WFI officers, nevertheless, didn’t make any official remark when approached.
It has additionally been learnt that Vinesh and Sakshi have submitted written affidavits to the IOA probe panel, which is investigating into the allegations individually, however ended up submitting mistaken data.
“In her affidavit, Vinesh claimed that Brij Bhushan touched her inappropriately in Turkey in 2015. However, later it was discovered that Vinesh had not competed in Turkey that 12 months. Later she stated it truly occurred in 2016 and in Mongolia.
“Sakshi in her affidavit wrote that Brij Bhushan hugged her in 2015. Brij Bhushan sensed her discomfort and stated that he hugged her like a father.” According to another source, a few former female wrestlers said that Brij Bhushan asked for their numbers but when asked if he ever called them, they replied in the negative.
“They said Brij Bhushah clicked pictures with them with his hands on their shoulders but could not produce those pictures when demanded by the panel,” stated the supply.
Not solely Brij Bhushan however a number of coaches additionally confronted allegations. One such coach was Greco Roman coach Mahabir Prasad.
The Droncharya awardee was requested by the panel why he visited Vinesh’s dwelling after her debacle within the Tokyo Olympics. To which he replied that he needed to say a number of motivating phrases as a result of he felt that the highest wrestler was going by means of a troublesome interval.
Vinesh had made a shock first spherical exit from the Olympics and was later suspended by WFI for indiscipline. She had revealed that she was affected by despair and was struggling badly to deal with the scenario.
“Mahabir replied that he was not alone when he paid a go to to Vinesh. He was accompanied with a coach and a journalist, so there was no query of getting any ailing will in him assembly Vinesh,” said a source.
It has also been learnt that two SAI officials had gone to the Sonepat centre, where the training camp for male wrestlers is held, to “extract” hostile assertion from the coaches in opposition to Brij Bhushan.
“When an oversight committee was probing the matter, what the SAI officers have been doing there at Sonepat SAI centre. Even a relative of one among members of the committee was additionally there. How did SAI centre enable that relative contained in the SAI advanced? He was not a part of the camp,” stated the supply.
Calls to SAI officials, including Director General Sandip Pradhan, went unanswered.
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