On Thursday, the Delhi Police filed a chargesheet of sexual harassment charges against Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. The chargesheet was filed by Special Public Prosecutor Atul Srivastava representing the Delhi Police in Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court based on FIRs registered by several protesting wrestlers against Singh.
As per the information, the Police completed the investigation in the case and filed a chargesheet for the offences under sections 354 (Assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 354A (making sexually coloured remarks), 354D (stalking) of IPC against Singh. Also, former WFI assistant secretary Vinod Tomar has been booked for offences under sections 109, 354, 354A, 506 IPC.
Reportedly, the chargesheet contains statements of over 150 witnesses, however, sources claim that the chargesheet is ‘weak’.
The ACMM court of Deepak Kumar of Rouse Avenue Court has stated that the matter will be considered for cognizance on June 22.
However, the Police stated that a cancellation report was also filed in the POCSO charges levied against Singh on the basis of the statement of the father of an alleged minor victim and the victim. “Chargesheet filed against former WFI chief under sections 354, 354D, 345A IPC. In the POCSO case, we’ve filed a cancellation report on the basis of the statement of the father of the alleged victim and the victim,” said Suman Nalwa, PRO, Delhi Police. It added that no corroborative evidence was found in the POCSO case while filing the cancellation report at the Patiala House Court.
#WATCH | Chargesheet filed against former WFI chief under sections 354, 354D, 354A IPC. In the POCSO case, we've filed a cancellation report on the basis of the statement of the father of the alleged victim and the victim: Suman Nalwa, PRO, Delhi Police on Brij Bhushan Sharan… pic.twitter.com/zHn56oUPNw
— ANI (@ANI) June 15, 2023
“In the POCSO matter, after completion of the investigation, we have submitted a police report under section 173 Cr PC requesting for a cancellation of the case based upon statements of the complainant i.e., the father of the minor victim and the victim herself,” the Police additionally confirmed.
In the POCSO matter, after completion of the investigation, we have submitted a police report under section 173 Cr PC requesting for a cancellation of the case based upon statements of the complainant i.e., the father of the minor victim and the victim herself: Delhi Police https://t.co/XWKBzpXhHs
— ANI (@ANI) June 15, 2023
As per Atul Srivastava, Special Public Prosecutor, the POCSO case will next be heard on July 4 by the court.
Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh case | The ACMM court of Deepak Kumar of Rouse Avenue Court keeps the matter for June 22 for consideration on cognizance point
— ANI (@ANI) June 15, 2023
Two separate FIRs were filed by Delhi police against Brij Bhushan based on sexual harassment allegations by several wrestlers. The first FIR was on the accusations made by a minor and was filed under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, along with relevant sections of the IPC. The second FIR is on comprehensive investigations into the complaints made by several adult complainants, and involves relevant sections of the IPC related to outraging of modesty.
Notably, the protesting wrestlers decided to temporarily suspend their agitation on June 8 until June 15. This decision was made after they got an assurance from the government that a chargesheet would be filed against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh before that date and that elections for the federation would be held by the end of the month.
The wrestlers had been long protesting from April 23 against the former WFI chief alleging him of sexual offence. They also demanded his arrest and booked him under relevant sections of the law.
It is to be noted that several derogatory slogans were raised in the midst of the wrestlers protests which had been ongoing for months. It was reported that slogans like ‘Modi Teri Kabar Khudegi’ and also anti-India ‘Azadi’ slogans were raised during the protests.
Similar slogans were raised by protestors in many protests in the past. Anti-CAA protests, Shaheen Bagh protests, farmers’ protests, and various other protests in JNU are known for these Azadi slogans.
