Vinesh Phogat, a prominent Indian wrestler, has voiced her frustration over the delayed investigation into allegations of sexual harassment against the head of India's national wrestling federation. Phogat also expressed disappointment with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's silence on the matter, raising concerns about the handling of the case.
Phogat, a two-time Olympian has accused Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the president of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), of sexually abusing her. Phogat is one of seven female athletes who have filed a police complaint against Singh.
Singh, a federal lawmaker from Modi's ruling party, has denied the allegations of making sexual advances, groping, and issuing threats to female athletes if they refused to meet him alone. Phogat spoke out in her first interview since she and other wrestlers were forcibly removed from a protest site by the police last month. Delhi Police have filed two cases against Singh, including one under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.
Phogat, the first Indian female wrestler to win gold at both the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games, stated that Singh would target young athletes and repeatedly grope them during training camps and tournaments. She described a pattern of abuse and expressed her frustration with the lack of action from the prime minister and the sports minister.
The wrestlers had previously staged a public protest in January, which ended when Singh was stripped of his administrative power at the WFI. However, they resumed their protest on April 23, resulting in several brief detentions and the forceful clearing of the protest site on May 28. Images of the wrestlers being dragged away and taken away in buses circulated widely, drawing criticism from prominent athletes and opposition politicians.
Phogat revealed that the athletes had considered throwing their medals into the Ganges, India's holiest river, before agreeing to meet with Home Minister Amit Shah and subsequently the sports minister. The police assured the wrestlers that the investigation would be completed by June 15 and requested that they refrain from further demonstrations.