Sakshi Malik flags concerns over retraction by minor, says, ’there was pressure and threats’

After the Delhi Police requested court approval to dismiss the POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) case against the Chief of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, citing the retraction of allegations by a minor and her father, Sakshi Malik, a 2016 Olympic medallist, raised concerns and criticized the police's handling of the complaint.

As reported by The Indian Express, Malik has been actively leading the protest against Singh and expressed doubts about the way the police dealt with the case.

Sakshi told The Indian Express, “In the POCSO case, if Brij Bhushan was arrested when the minor’s statement was (first) recorded before a magistrate, then the minor would not have withdrawn the complaint. And not only that. Other girls would have also come forward and complained (about sexual harassment). There was pressure and threats is what I have heard. The court will have to decide what to do (with the statement).”

ANI reported that in the minor's case, it is clear that there is a lot of pressure on the family.

On Thursday, the police submitted a request in the Patiala House Courts to withdraw the POCSO case against Singh.

“In the POCSO matter, after completion of investigation, we have submitted a police report under Section 173 CrPC, requesting for cancellation of the case based upon statements of the complainant i.e., the father of the victim and the victim herself,” police said.
The matter will be heard next on July 4.

According to a recent report by The Indian Express, earlier this month, it was revealed that the only minor among the seven female wrestlers who had accused Singh of sexual harassment had retracted her allegations.

Regarding the future course of action, Sakshi mentioned that while the protests may have been paused, she emphasized that true justice would be achieved only if Singh is arrested at the conclusion of the legal proceedings.

“We will consult our legal team and study the contents of the chargesheet. After that, we will take a final decision on the future course of action. If our legal team says it is a chargesheet that is strong and the case against Brij Bhushan can be fought in court, then there is hope for justice. Only if Brij Bhushan is arrested after the court hearings will women wrestlers who have been sexually harassed receive justice,” she said.

On April 28, the Delhi Police filed two First Information Reports (FIRs) that detailed multiple instances of alleged sexual misconduct. The FIRs mentioned instances where sexual favors were demanded in exchange for professional assistance, including approximately 15 incidents of sexual harassment. These incidents involved inappropriate touching, molestation such as running hands over breasts and touching the navel, as well as several instances of intimidation, including stalking.

Sakshi Malik, Bajrang Punia, and Vinesh Phogat, prominent wrestlers in India and achievers at the Tokyo Olympics and World Championships, staged a protest at Jantar Mantar for more than a month. Their primary demand was the arrest of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who is not only the Chief of Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) but also a BJP MP representing Kaiserganj constituency in Uttar Pradesh.