WFI vs Wrestlers' Protest: Wrestlers observe black day, Minor records statement against Brij Bhushan Sharan

The only minor of the seven alleged victims has recorded her statement in front of the magistrate and the others will record their statements soon, Delhi Police claims.

The ongoing wrestlers' protest has entered its 18th day as the top athletes continue their wait for the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, to be brought to justice. The BJP MLA has several sexual harassment allegations against him, including one from a minor wrestler. However, Singh believes the wrestlers' protest is political propaganda against him and his party and hence, has refused to resign from his position.

The wrestlers maintain that they do not want to politicise the protests. The wrestlers' protest formed two advisory committees to oversee the legal proceedings and wrestling. A maha panchayat of several leaders from students councils, farmers' organisations and khap panchayats met and formed the two committees.

Let's see what happened on the 18th day of the protest:

Wrestlers protest through Black Day

Wrestlers requested those coming to the Jantar Mantar for protests to wear black armbands or headbands. They also appealed that the ones who can't join the wrestlers' protest wear the armbands and post them on social media. Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik, among many others, took the lead wearing the armbands and headbands and called the 18th day of the wrestlers' protests a black day.

The wrestlers' protest marked 11th May as the black day for four hours today - from 10 am to 2 pm and requested their fans to show support on social media and at the site of the protest.

Sakshi Malik challenges Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh

Sakshi Malik has challenged the WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh to appear for a lie-detecting Narco test. The challenge comes in response to the claims of the BJP MLA that the wrestlers' protest is political propaganda of his opposing parties and that he won't resign from his position.

"I challenge the WFI president to take a Narco Test. We are also willing to take the test. Let the truth come out in the open, who is the culprit and who is not," the Rio Olympics medalist challenged via the PTI.

Minor records statement in front of magistrate

The sole minor wrestler who has alleged that the WFI president has sexually harassed her has had her statement recorded in front of the magistrate under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC). The wrestlers were not happy with the statements recorded by the Delhi police and requested the court that the statements get recorded in front of the magistrate.

The statement of the minor female wrestler was officially recorded before a magistrate under Section 164 of the CrPC on Wednesday," said a senior police official to the PTI.

"In the near future, statements from the remaining six female wrestlers will also be taken before the magistrate," the official added.

NHRC says 15 out of 30 sports governing bodies without ICC

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has claimed that the WFI is not the only sports governing body without an Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) to deal with sexual harassment charges. In a report submitted to the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, the NHRC claims the Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Sports Authority of India (SAI) to be one of the many organisations not to have an ICC to deal with the sexual harassment charges, as required by law.

The NHRC has taken "suo moto cognisance of a media report that there is no Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) in the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) as mandated by the Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH) Act, 2013".

"Reportedly, the wrestling body is not the only one not having a duly constituted ICC. In addition to it, there are as many as 15 of the 30 national sports federations who do not meet this mandatory requirement, it said as per the TOI.