Sonipat (Haryana): In a welcome note, Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia on Friday hailed a Delhi court's decision to frame sexual harassment charges against former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, terming it to be a big 'victory for the country's female wrestlers'. The court will formally frame the charges on May 21.
Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court on May 10 ordered the framing of sexual harassment and other charges against Singh, a multiple-term Lok Sabha MP, under sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 354A (sexual harassment), and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code.
Punia, reacting to this move, thanked the honourable court for its decision. "The daughters of the country have had to go through such difficult times, but this decision will provide relief. Those who trolled women wrestlers should also be ashamed. Satyamev Jayate," Punia wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter).
Reiterating his faith in the judiciary, Punia wrote: This is a big milestone in our 18 months Struggle, which started in January 2023 on the streets, then committees, back on the Streets and finally in the courts, against the main perpetrator of sexual crimes against women wrestlers and the promotion of misogyny that has existed in this Federation.
Rio Olympic bronze medallist Sakshi Malik retired after a group led by former WFI President Sanjay Singh won the federation elections quite comprehensively in December 2023. She took to X and expressed her support in favour of the decision.
"We thank the honourable court. We had to sleep on the streets for many nights in the heat and rain, had to give up on our stable careers, only then have we been able to take a few steps forward in the fight for justice," Malik posted on X.
"Heartfelt gratitude to those who showered love and blessings and may God bless those who trolled and said bad things. Long live Mother India. We had to sleep on the streets for many nights in the heat and rain, had to give up on our stable careers, only then have we been able to take a few steps forward in the fight for justice" Malik added in her post.
Punia also lashed out at former Indian Wrestler and Olympic medalist Yogeshwar Dutt and Babita Phogat, Commonwealth Games champion wrestler and BJP member, alleging the duo of defaming the trioka of Sakshi, Bajrang and Vinesh Phogat, who were the prominent faces during the year-long protest which started in January 2023 at Jantar Mantar in the national capital.
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