'Does POCSO, immediate arrest not apply to Brij Bhushan Singh?': Kapil Sibal flays govt
New Delhi, May 31: Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Wednesday slammed the government over the issue of allegations of sexual harassment levelled by women wrestlers against WFI president Brij Bhushan Singh, and asked whether POCSO and immediate arrest apply to all accused other than Singh because he belongs to the BJP.
The attack by Sibal, a senior advocate who represented the protesting wrestlers in the Supreme Court, came a day after the matter escalated as the wrestlers reached Haridwar on the banks of the Ganga, threatening to immerse their World and Olympic medals in the holy river but stopped short of doing so after being convinced by farmer leaders who sought five days to address their grievances.
Olympic medallists Sakshi Malik, Bajrang Punia and Asian Games gold medallist Vinesh Phogat arrived at Har ki Pauri to protest the inaction against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Singh, who has allegedly sexually harassed several women grapplers.
In a tweet, Sibal said, "Brij Bhushan Singh: Does application of POCSO and immediate arrest after 164 statements apply to all accused other than Brij Bhushan because he: 1) Belongs to BJP 2) iconic women wrestlers don't matter; votes matter! 3) Government doesn't care.
"Is this my new India," Sibal asked.
Sibal, who was a Union minister during the UPA 1 and UPA 2 governments, quit the Congress in May last year and was elected to the Rajya Sabha as an Independent member with the Samajwadi Party's support. He recently floated the non-electoral platform 'Insaaf', aimed at fighting injustice.
Last month, the Delhi Police registered two FIRs against Singh.
The first FIR pertains to allegations levelled by a minor which has been registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act along with relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code concerning outraging modesty. The second one has been registered over complaints by adults pertaining to outraging modesty.
On May 28, the Delhi Police detained Malik along with world championships bronze winner Vinesh and Olympic medallist Bajrang, and later filed FIRs against the wrestlers for violation of law and order.
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Fire erupts at plastic factory in Ahmedabad; no casualties
Ahmedabad (PTI): A fire broke out at a plastic granules and mould manufacturing factory in Gujarat's Ahmedabad on Sunday morning, an official said.
No casualties were reported in the incident, he said.
The blaze erupted around 8 am at Processo Plast Enterprise in the Bapunagar area, Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation's Additional Chief Officer (fire) Mihir Rana told PTI.
Thick plumes of smoke were seen billowing into the sky, visible from a considerable distance in the area.
"The unit closed after the night shift and the fire broke out in the morning in the ground floor's storage facility section due to unidentified reasons," Rana said.
Nine fire tenders and several other firefighting vehicles were rushed to the spot, and the blaze was brought under control by 11 am, he said.
Firefighters prevented the blaze from spreading to the first floor. However, machinery and plastic materials were damaged on the ground floor, he said, adding that the exact cause of the blaze was under investigation.
