The father of a minor wrestler on Thursday admitted to deliberately filing false sexual harassment complaint against BJP MP and former WFI Chief Brij Bhushan Singh, as a form of revenge against Singh for a perceived injustice against the minor wrestler.

The said complaint by the minor wrestler led to the investigation under the POCSO Act against Singh.

“It’s better that the truth comes out now instead of in the court," Wrestler’s father was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

He stated that his animosity against Singh goes back to Under-17 Asian Championship 2022 trials, when the minor wrestler lost the final match and missed out on her selection to the Indian Team.

He said that the UWW and WFI Rules were not followed and the referee "deliberately defeated" her daughter.

As Singh was the head of WFI, and he was the one to depute the referee, therefore the father sought revenge against Singh by filing the said complaint.

He has claimed that he was not influenced by the protesting wrestlers, as he was wronged, it was his decision to file the false complaint, and not his daughter’s.

He said that the protesting wrestlers were wronged by the WFI.

He also stated that now that the government has promised a fair inquiry into his daughter’s defeat in 2022 Under-17 Asian Championship trials, therefore it was his duty to take back the complaint.

Singh reacted to the development by stating that he won’t hold any grudges against anyone and won’t take any action against the family.

However, if Singh chooses to file a complaint against the father of the minor wrestler, he could be sentenced to a maximum of six months imprisonment under Section 22 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (POCSO Act).

Moreover, if it is subsequently discovered that the wrestler’s father was abetted by someone to file the said complaint, the person who abetted can be dealt accordingly as per Section 17 of the POSCO Act.