Indian Wrestling Federation Chief Is Charged With S*xual Harassment

S*xual harassment has been an ongoing problem in the workplace since women became a significant part of the workforce.

Following an inquiry, the New Delhi police have accused the president of the Indian wrestling organization of s*xual harassment and insulting the modesty of six female athletes.

If found guilty, Mr. Singh could spend up to five years in jail. He denied the accusations.

According to police spokeswoman Suman Nalwa, authorities requested the dismissal of a different report in which a minor wrestler had accused Mr. Singh of s*xual harassment.

A court in India will review a report that was produced at the conclusion of the police inquiry before either charging or clearing an individual. The court will determine if Mr. Singh should be arrested if it decides to put him on trial.

The cases will be heard by two different courts on June 22 and July 4, respectively.

According to Ms. Nalwa, the complaint against the young wrestler was brought under a specific law protecting kids from s*xual assault and harassment.

In January, the wrestlers started demonstrating in the Indian capital’s main park, calling for Mr. Singh to be taken into custody. After receiving assurances from Indian Sports Minister Anurag Thakur that the police will wrap up their investigation and provide their report to the court by June 15, they postponed their protest last week.

As per the Supreme Court of India’s directives, the New Delhi police began looking into the wrestlers’ accusations against Mr. Singh.

By the end of this month, the Indian federal government has also committed to holding elections for the top positions in the wrestling organization. Mr. Singh is still in charge of the federation.

Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik, two Olympic medalists who participated in the protests, have vowed to return their awards if Mr. Singh is not held accountable.

Members of opposition parties joined the rallies, and other farmer unions supported the wrestlers’ cause. Punjab and Haryana, two northern agricultural states, are home to the majority of India’s wrestlers.

They charged Mr. Singh, a 66-year-old prominent politician and member of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, of molesting seven young female wrestlers. The protests, according to Mr. Singh, were “politically motivated” by the opposing Congress party and he has refuted the claims.

The WFI president, according to wrestler Vinesh Phogat, who holds medals from the world championships, the Commonwealth Games, and the Asian Games, ordered numerous instructors to abuse female wrestlers.