"Some things said in anger," says minor wrestler's dad after 'correcting' complaint

 NEW DELHI: The father of a minor wrestler who had filed a complaint against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh has admitted to a television channel that he has "corrected" the statement as he had filed a false complaint against him "out of anger".

In an interview with a Haryana-based news channel-'Khabrain Abhi Tak', the complainant's father said that the minor has corrected the earlier statement she had given in court and to the police.

"Some things were said out of anger in that, some of them are true and some things were wrongly said. Brij Bhushan is right at his place but the anger was there and out of anger some false things were said. I have again given my statement and the things which were wrongly stated, I have corrected them," the complainant's father said.

When asked about media reports claiming that minor victim's father had filed a POCSO complaint against him in "revenge" after being overlooked for selection during camp, Brij Bhushan on Friday said, "All the matters are before the court. The government has also given an assurance that the chargesheet will be filed by June 15. Let the chargesheet be filed. I don't think I should say anything now."

The six-time BJP MP, Brij Bhushan was booked by Delhi Police following allegations of sexual harassment.

Meanwhile, in his interview to 'Khabrain Abhi Tak', the minor wrestler's father said that there was no external pressure on him to change his earlier statement. "Three to four days ago my daughter and I went to the police station and Patiala house court," the father told the TV channel.

"One thing has changed. In 2022 they deliberately made my daughter lose the match, we were heartbroken. We have two houses and I had to sell one of my houses to ensure that my daughter can practice wrestling."

According to the father, his ward had missed out on the selection to the Indian team and alleged that "the referee had intentionally made his daughter lose."

"I had objected at that time but the technical staff said that if I wanted my daughter to participate in wrestling then do that else take her away," he told 'Khabrain Abhi Tak'. The man said he was enraged because his daughter's "one year of hard work had gone waste" because of that referee's decision in the final.

"With this kind of partiality, where will we go, so it was obvious that there was anger," the man said detailing the reason for his previous complaint.

The father, however, pointed out that he supports the wrestlers' protest as he believed in the cause against which they have been protesting.

Olympians Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik and Vinesh Phogat along with other wrestlers had been on a protest in the national capital since the beginning of this year in order to press for the removal and arrest of the WFI chief over allegations of sexual harassment.

On May 28, wrestlers had planned a march and protest in front of the new Parliament, despite the imposition of Section 144 in the area. They were detained on their way by the Delhi police and FIR was filed against them under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 147, 149, 186, 188, 332, 353, Section 3 of the PDPP Act. The protest site was also cleared by the Delhi Police.

Following their removal from Jantar Mantar, Wrestlers arrived in Haridwar two days later to immerse their medals in the Ganga.

After a meeting with Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur, star Indian wrestler Bajrang Punia on Wednesday said the government assured that the ongoing probe by Delhi Police against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh will be completed before June 15.

Speaking to reporters at his residence after holding parleys with the ace grapplers, Thakur said "An Internal Complaint Committee of the wrestling federation will be constituted. It will be headed by a woman. We have demanded that all FIRs filed against wrestlers be withdrawn.

"They also requested that Brij Bhushan Singh, who has completed 3 terms (as WFI chief), and his associates be asked not to stand for the elections again. The wrestlers promised not to hold any fresh protests before June 15," said Thakur.