New Delhi: The Rouse Avenue Court directed the ‘framing of charges’ against former WFI Chief and BJP leader Brij Bhushan Singh and another accused on Friday, in response to sexual harassment allegations made by multiple women wrestlers.
Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Priyanka Rajpoot determined that there was substantial evidence against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh to proceed with the sexual harassment claims of five women wrestlers and the charge of outraging the modesty of women.
The court found grounds to proceed against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh under sections 354 and 354 A (IPC). Additionally, charges were framed against him under section 506 (part 1) based on the allegations of two women. However, the court dismissed the accusations made by the sixth wrestler.
Charges were also framed against the second accused, Vinod Tomar, under section 506 (part 1) of the IPC based on the allegation of one woman, while he was discharged from the remaining allegations. The court scheduled the official framing of charges for May 21.
Earlier, the same court rejected an application by BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, seeking further investigation and the placement of a Call Detail Record of a coach. Singh asserted that he was not in Delhi on the date in question, as he was in Serbia on September 7, 2022.
The Delhi Police chargesheet against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and Vinod Tomar indicated that both defendants were charge-sheeted for trial ‘without arrest’ as they had cooperated with the investigation.
Based on the investigation, Singh was found “liable to be prosecuted and punished for offences” of sexual harassment, molestation, and stalking, as stated in the 1599-page chargesheet, which included statements from 44 witnesses and six statements recorded under CrPC 164.
The chargesheet also presented several photographs, including images taken during the events. Witnesses mentioned seeing the inappropriate conduct of the then WFI president.
The case against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and Vinod Tomar was filed on June 15 of the previous year following complaints from women wrestlers. Two FIRs were registered against Singh, one under the POCSO Act, with a cancellation report filed in the case involving a minor wrestler, and another based on complaints from multiple wrestlers.
Suman Nalwa, PRO, Delhi Police, stated, “After completion of the investigation, we are filing a chargesheet for the offences under sections 354, 354A, 354D IPC against accused Brijbhushan Sharan Singh and for offences under sections109/ 354/354A/506 IPC against accused Vinod Tomar before the Rouse Avenue Court.”
