The Haryana Amateur Wrestling Association suspended five officials for expressing support for the protest against Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, reported The Hindu.
Singh is accused of sexually harassing several female players, including an underage girl. The country’s top wrestlers have been staging a sit-in protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi since April 23 demanding Singh’s arrest. Although the Delhi Police have registered two first information reports against Singh, who is also a Bharatiya Janata Party MP, he has refused to step down from the top post.
On May 5, the Haryana Amateur Wrestling Association suspended secretaries of three district units – Virender Singh Dalal of Jhajjar, Sanjay Singh Malik of Hisar and Jai Bhagwan of Mewat – with immediate effect.
The managers of Hisar district’s Shaheed Bhagat Singh Wrestling Academy – Ajay Singh Dhanda and Jai Bhagwan Lathar – were also suspended for their alleged involvement in activities against the Wrestling Federation of India and Haryana Amateur Wrestling Association.
Haryana Amateur Wrestling Association president Rohtash Singh said that the five members were suspended after they being warned in January not to participate in the agitation, reported The Hindu.
“In March, we asked them for an explanation and gave a 20-day period,” Rohtash Singh said. “We received no response, hence they have been suspended.” He also alleged that the managers “misguided” their students and took them to Jantar Mantar to protest. However, Dhanda said that he never took any of his students to the protest site.
The agitation against Singh had first started in January. However, the wrestlers had withdrawn the agitation after the Centre formed an oversight committee to look into the allegations. It was only after the protests were resumed last month and the wrestlers moved the Supreme Court that Singh was booked.
On Wednesday, a Delhi court sought a status report from the police in connection with the first information reports by May 12, PTI reported. Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Harjit Singh Jaspal was hearing a petition by the protesting wrestlers seeking that the investigation be monitored and that the statements of the complainants be recorded.
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