Unknown women infiltrating protest site to stalk, defame us: Vinesh Phogat
Alleging that some elements are trying to defame their protests and malign the wrestlers, Vinesh Phogat said in a press conference on Monday that the grapplers are being stalked at Jantar Mantar.
She said that late at night on Sunday, unknown women attempted to enter the wrestlers' tent at the protest site and even wanted to sleep there overnight, refusing to leave when they were stopped.
“We are being stalked here. Some unknown people come here at night and try to enter the tent. They take pictures and videos,” the Asian Games gold medallist said. “These are unknown women, they are being sent late at night, we do not want them here at the site. They are doing things here which we do not want to happen at the protest site in an attempt to tarnish this fight for justice and truth.”
Vinesh, alongside other top wrestlers including Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik, has been protesting in New Delhi for 23 days now demanding the arrest of Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president and BJP MP Brijbhushan Sharan Singh alleging sexual harassment and exploitation of women wrestlers.
Delhi Police has registered two FIRs - one of which pertains to allegations of a minor wrestler under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act - against Brijbhushan and investigations are ongoing, as police have formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) for the case. The Indian Express reported on Friday that the police have already recorded the statement of the minor wrestler before a magistrate, but statements of other complainants under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) are yet to be recorded.
Owing to the sensitive nature of the case, Vinesh did not provide details of the legal process. “This is an ongoing investigation, so I can't give details, but the statements are still being recorded, and once they are finished, we will definitely announce that,” she said.
Sakshi said that they are hoping to be able to make their agitation go global by writing to Olympians and top athletes from other countries. “We will not just sit at Jantar Mantar. To move our protests forward, we have to move out of here as well. We are also writing a letter to Olympic champions and athletes from other countries and hope that they will show support as well,” she said.
from Sports | The Indian Express https://ift.tt/Iu2Dc7B
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