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The Sports Ministry has extended by two weeks the deadline given to the Oversight Committee to submit its report on sexual harassment allegations against WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. The Committee, led by legendary boxer MC Mary Kom, was formed on January 23 to investigate into the claims made by country's top wrestlers that Brij Bhushan has sexually harassed several women wrestlers and intimidates the athletes. The wrestlers had not provided the names of the 'victims'. The committee, which is running the day-to-day functioning of the sports body, was asked to submits its report in four weeks. The ministry extended the deadline following requests from the committee members and now it will submit its report by March 9. "The Sports Ministry has given a two-week extension to the Oversight Committee for the submission of its report, following a request," a ministry source told PTI. The ministry was forced to form the panel after top Indian wrestlers, including Bajrang Pun
Boxing great MC Mary Kom will lead a five-member Oversight Committee that will probe sexual harassment charges against Wrestling Federation of India president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. The government-appointed Committee will also run the day-to-day affairs of WFI for the next one month. The other members of the panel are Olympic medallist wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt, former badminton player and Mission Olympic Cell member Trupti Murgunde, ex-TOPS CEO Rajagopalan and former SAI executive director - teams - Radhika Sreeman. The announcement of the panel was made by Sports Minister Anurag Thakur on Monday. Thakur had decided to form the Committee on Saturday following a three-day sit-in protest by some of the country's top wrestlers including Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik and Ravi Dahiya against WFI and Singh.
In an unprecedented move, the country's top wrestlers, including Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Bajrang Punia and world championship medallist Vinesh Phogat, staged a protest against the "dictatorship" of national federation President Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh on Wednesday. The wrestlers did not share the exact details of their grievances or their demands but it was clear that they are fed up with the way the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) is being run by Singh, who is also a BJP MP from Kaiserganj. Bajrang, Vinesh, Rio Olympics medallist Sakshi Malik, world championship medallist Sarita Mor, Sangeeta Phogat, Satyawart Malik, Jitender Kinha and CWG medallist Sumit Malik were among 30 wrestlers who have assembled at Jantar Mantar. "Our fight is not against the government or Sports Authority of India (SAI). This is against WFI. We will share details later in the day. 'Yeh ab aar paar ki ladai hai' (It's a fight to the finish)," Bajrang Punia told PTI. Bajrang's support staff, .