Brijbhushan Sharan Singh, former president of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) and BJP MP, has been accused of inappropriately touching the breast of a minor wrestler and pressuring her to support his actions. The FIR, filed on April 28 at Connaught Place Police Station, was based on a complaint lodged by the wrestlerโs father, stating that his daughter is 17 years old. The case has been registered under sections 354, 354A, 354D, and the POCSO (10) act of the IPC.
According to the FIR, which The New Indian has obtained a copy of, the complainantโs father stated, โMy daughter, a 17-year-old professional wrestler, has dedicated her life to the sport since joining in 2016. She aspires to become an international wrestler and represent India. Through hard work and perseverance, she has participated in numerous national championships and won several gold medals. In 2022, at the age of sixteen, she won a gold medal in a championship.โ
โAfter winning the gold medal, Singh forcibly pulled my daughter towards himself under the pretext of taking a picture with her. He held her so tightly by her arms that she couldnโt move or free herself. While maintaining a tight grip and pretending to take a picture, he squeezed her tightly, pressing hard on her shoulder. Deliberately, he then slid his hand down her shoulder, brushing against her breasts. During this act, he told her, โPlease support me, and I will support you. Stay close to me, maintaining physical contact,'โ the FIR stated.
โHowever, my daughter managed to wriggle out of the accusedโs strong grip and firmly told him, โSir, I have come this far based on my own abilities, and I will continue to work hard and progress.โ In response, the accused warned my daughter that the trials for the Asian Championship were approaching, and if she didnโt cooperate with him, she would face consequences,โ the FIR continued.
The complainantโs father also mentioned an incident when Singh called his daughter to his room, but she managed to escape. โUnder the pressure of the accused, who threatened to ruin her career, my daughter reluctantly visited his room. The accused pulled my daughter towards himself, attempting to make forceful physical contact. However, she swiftly freed herself from his grasp and fled the room. The incident left my daughter shocked and unable to collect herself,โ the FIR added.
The FIR further revealed that Singhโs threats turned out to be true, as the minor wrestler faced discrimination during trials for other national championships.
โMy daughter, a 17-year-old wrestler at the beginning of her career, was unable to gather the courage to confront a sexual predator like the accused. She couldnโt lodge a complaint or raise these issues with the Federation, as it is entirely controlled by the accused and operates according to his wishes. Recently, my daughter disclosed all the aforementioned details, which have deeply disturbed me,โ stated the FIR.
