Satisfactory that probe against Brij Bhushan Singh has begun: Sharad Pawar

Wrestlers, including Olympians Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik, are protesting inaction against Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, accused of sexually harassing women grapplers.

Aurangabad (Maharashtra): Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar on Wednesday said it is a matter of satisfaction that an inquiry has begun against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief, accused of sexually harassing women grapplers. Speaking to reporters here, Pawar said the protesting wrestlers want Singh's arrest, while the government says it will conduct a probe first and then take a decision. "It is a matter of satisfaction that the probe has begun," he said.

The wrestlers have been agitating against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and demanded his arrest. Some women wrestlers have accused Singh of sexually harassing them. The BJP leader has denied the charges terming the protest as an "emotional drama". The government has invited wrestlers protesting against Singh for talks on their issues, days after they met Home Minister Amit Shah. In a tweet post-midnight Tuesday, Sports Minister Anurag Thakur said the government was "willing to have a discussion with the wrestlers on their issues." Earlier, the Delhi Police recorded the statements of Singh's associates and those working at his residence in Uttar Pradesh's Gonda as part of the investigation, officials said.

They also said a minor complainant, whose statement was the basis of a case registered against Singh under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, has recorded a fresh statement under the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) section 164.