Wrestlers' protest Anurag Thakur meets protesting wrestlers again, panel formed to probe sexual harassment charges
New Delhi/IBNS: After the first round of talks failed to reach a breakthrough, Indian wrestlers protesting sexual harassment allegations against the federation chief and some national coaches met with Sports Minister Anurag Thakur on Friday for the second time.
Following the meeting, the Indian Olympic Association (IOC) announced a seven-member panel will probe the charges against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh after an emergency meeting late in the evening.
The panel will comprise noted athletes Mary Kom, Dola Banerjee, Alaknanda Ashok, Yogeshwar Dutt and Sahdev Yadav.
Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh has denied all charges and refused to step down.
"If I speak, there will be a tsunami... I am not here because of someone's charity. I have been elected by the people," he told reporters in Uttar Pradesh's Gonda.
Anurag Thakur, who dialled Singh and cautioned him against making any statement to the media, had met the protesting wrestlers for four hours on Wednesday, between 10 pm and 2 am.
Ahead of the second meeting, the wrestlers sent a letter to the head of the Indian Olympic body, PT Usha, seeking action against Singh.
"Vinesh Phogat was mentally harassed and tortured by the WFI chief after she missed out on an Olympic medal in Tokyo. She almost contemplated suicide," the wrestlers wrote in their letter to Usha, as reported in the media. adding that "they fear for their lives".
Vinesh Phogat has agreed to reveal the identity of the victims to the Indian Olympic Association committee.
The massive Jantar Mantar protest is being headed by celebrated Indian wrestlers, including Olympic medallist Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik besides Vinesh Phogat and others.
They are staging a sit-in protest at Jantar Mantar for the last two days against the WFI president, accusing him of sexual exploitation and intimidation and have demanded that the federation be disbanded.
On Wednesday, the Centre made it clear that if the WFI does not respond in the next three days, the sports ministry "will proceed to initiate action against the federation in terms of the provisions of the National Sports Development Code, 2011."
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