The cops have finally come to the rescue of four national-level wrestling and kabaddi players who were getting threats, including of rape.

The Telegraph had reported one of the girls' plight in its April 1, 2017 edition.

The Pandarak police arrested one of the six alleged tormentors of the players on Sunday, a day after the girls called on Patna senior superintendent of police (SSP) Manu Maharaaj.

Investigators quizzed the accused, Anil Singh, 42, a resident of Pandarak village in Patna rural, for hours before he was produced in the Barh sub-divisional court which remanded him in judicial custody for 14 days.

Police said Anil, along with five associates, had threatened to rape the minor girls if they didn't stop practising their sport. "While Anil was nabbed, his associates Rakesh Kumar, Pankaj Singh, Atul Kumar, Amit Saurav and Rohit Kumar are absconding," Pandarak police station house officer (SHO) Diwakar Kumar told The Telegraph over phone on Sunday.

The girls had filed a complaint with Pandarak police station on April 2 this year seeking action against six men.

"Though we had provided the names of the tormentors, the police kept the matter under wraps for over two months and didn't initiate action," said one of the girls.

On Saturday (June 10), the girls reached the office of the SSP and narrated their tale of woes. "The SSP listened to us patiently and promised action against the accused. One of the main accused was arrested within 24 hours," said one girl, who had stopped attending her regular practice following the threats.

The girl told the SSP that they were being harassed by the accused while going to Athmalgola from Pandarak for regular practice. One of the players was even molested, the girl said, adding that they were being targeted by people from a particular caste.

The ordeal for the girls started in December last year when they defeated players belonging to an upper caste in Gopalganj district.

"Soon after, some people belonging to an upper caste thrashed my father in Pandarak Bazaar and threatened him with dire consequences," said one of the girls who is a national-level kabaddi player. "They are envious of our performance. As we defeated them in the sport, they are hell-bent on ruining our careers. We are from the Yadav community. They say if backward caste girls start playing sports, what will girls from upper castes do?"

SSP Maharaaj said: "The matter had come to the notice of police a couple of months ago. We tried to reach a compromise between the players and their alleged tormentors but to no avail. I have issued fresh instructions to the SHO of the police station concerned to initiate legal action."

Sources said the girls'coach Dhiraj Singh Chauhan was earlier forced to leave Pandarak after some residents complained against him.

"The girls who used to take lessons from the coach levelled some serious allegations against him. He was asked to leave Pandarak immediately," said an officer who was earlier posted at the neighbouring Barh police station.

Coach Chauhan, on the other hand, alleged that he too was threatened by the accused for training the girls at his institute at Athmalgola, around 25km from Pandarak. The girls had to cover around 25km from Pandarak to train.

The coach said he has informed the Bihar Wrestling Association about the matter.