On Tuesday, the Rouse Avenue Court formally charged BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh with sexual harassment, following allegations made by several female wrestlers.
Singh, however, denied the charges and opted for a trial. Alongside him, Vinod Tomar, the former assistant secretary of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), was also charged. Tomar, like Singh, denied the allegations and will face trial.
Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who was recently dropped from the BJP’s candidate list for the upcoming elections, saw his son, Karan Singh, taking his place for the Kaisarganj LokSabha seat.
The court session, presided over by Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) Priyanka Rajpoot, concluded with the framing of charges against Singh. He has firmly denied these charges and is preparing for a trial.
The court's directive on May 10 to frame charges against both Singh and Tomar came after a thorough review of the allegations. The prosecution presented enough evidence to move forward with the case, accusing Singh of sexually harassing five female wrestlers and outraging their modesty.
Charges under sections 354 and 354A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) were framed against Singh. Additionally, he faces charges under section 506 (part 1) of the IPC based on allegations from two other women. However, he was discharged from allegations made by a sixth wrestler.
Vinod Tomar, the second accused in the case, was charged under section 506 (part 1) of the IPC based on one woman's allegations but was cleared of other charges against him. Both Singh and Tomar have maintained their innocence and have chosen to contest the charges in court.
A significant aspect of Singh's defence involves his travel and call detail records (CDR). He has argued that he was not present in the same hotels as the female wrestlers during their international trips.
Singh's legal team has requested these records from the Delhi Police to substantiate his claim. The court has instructed the Delhi Police to respond to this request and provide the necessary documents.
The charges against Singh are detailed in a 1599-page chargesheet, which includes statements from 44 witnesses and six statements recorded under Section 164 of the CrPC.
The Delhi Police's charge sheet indicates that Singh and Tomar have complied with the investigation directives under Section 41A of the CrPC, thus they were not arrested. The chargesheet emphasizes that the investigation found sufficient grounds to prosecute Singh for sexual harassment, molestation, and stalking.
The case originated from complaints lodged by female wrestlers, leading to two First Information Reports (FIRs) against Singh. One FIR, filed under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, was cancelled concerning a minor wrestler. The second FIR, based on complaints from multiple wrestlers, formed the basis of the current charges.
As the trial progresses, the Rouse Avenue Court has scheduled the next hearing for June 1, at 2 PM, to consider the replies and arguments. The outcome of this high-profile case will be closely watched, as it not only impacts the accused but also has significant implications for the sport of wrestling in India and the broader issue of accountability and justice in cases of sexual harassment.
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