Plea withdrawn in Delhi HC against wrestlers alleging sexual harassment by WFI chief (LD)

Hours after a plea was moved in the Delhi High Court on Monday against the sexual assault allegations on Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh by multiple wrestlers, it was withdrawn.

Talking to IANS, Lawyer Shrikant Prasad said that Vicky, who was the petitioner, has asked us to withdraw the plea as the matter has been highlighted a lot.

The lawyer further said that the motive to file the plea was about the misuse of law by women on sexual harassment and resorting to protests and there should be some guidelines set up in this context.

In the plea, it is said that Phogat, who is also the first respondent in the plea, started blackmailing Bhushan for resigning from the post of WFI president on the pretext of protest against the sexual harassment of the wrestlers.

It is said that the media thinks of itself as Janata Adalat and has started intervening in the proceedings of the court, the plea said.

It is contended that wrestlers, instead of moving to court, have approached the media to show their concern, said the petition.

In the petition, it has been argued that respondents (wrestlers) have crossed all their limits to approach the issue and that his reputation and dignity was being tarnished.

It further claimed that sexual harassment laws were being misused and an extortion was being done on him.

This writ petition is filed against the complete misuse of sexual harassment laws by the wrestler women, the petition read.

It is in the petition that wrestlers are trying to get their own benefits out of this issue.

A huge protest by the wrestlers at Delhi's Jantar Mantar was called off following assurances from the Centre that grievances would be addressed and Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh was asked to step aside for four weeks.