Court seeks ATR from police on plea seeking FIR against wrestlers

New Delhi (IANS) A Delhi court on Thursday sought an Action Taken Report (ATR) from the Police on a complaint by a social activist and chief of Atal Jan Shakti Party seeking registration of an FIR against the wrestlers Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia, and Sakshi Malik for pressing "false allegations" of sexual harassment against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Anamika of Patiala House Courts passed the directions on an application filed on behalf of one Bam Bam Maharaj Nauhatiya.

The court has directed police to file its report by June 9, which is also the next date of hearing.

The complaint additionally alleges that the protesters were involved in delivering "hate speech" against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Nauhatiya has challenged the credibility of the allegations made by the accused individuals against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.

The plea argues that the accusations lack truth and are not motivated by any genuine concern but by potential influence or personal gain.

The plea states: "The accused are internationally recognised wrestlers who possess physical strength and financial stability. It is difficult to believe that they could be subjected to harassment by a 66-year-old man, Singh."

Furthermore, the plea highlights the absence of any formal protest or the filing of a written or verbal First Information Report (FIR) by any of the wrestlers involved.

The plea notes that relevant authorities such as the Police Station, Women Helpline, State Women's Commission, the Ministry of Women Welfare, and the Indian Olympic Association, all of which have offices in Delhi and other states, were not approached by the wrestlers.

Moreover, the plea argues that the protest organised by the wrestlers at Jantar Mantar in Delhi served only to exert unnecessary pressure on the police and the court system in an attempt to achieve their desired outcomes.

The plea highlights that during the protest organised by the wrestlers at Jantar Mantar, a "highly inflammatory" slogan was openly raised, as per the broadcast on national news channels.

The plea said this slogan was an instance of hate speech, asserting "the language used by the protesters clearly indicates a threat to the life of PM Modi".

The plea emphasises that hate speech is not only a legal offence but also a serious crime, according to recent judgments by the Supreme Court.

Furthermore, the plea contends that false allegations and the activities carried out by the accused wrestlers at the protest site have severely tarnished the character of the WFI chief.