The Delhi Police on Thursday filed a charge sheet against BJP MP and WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh for sexual harassment and stalking, while recommending the cancellation of a complaint lodged by a juvenile wrestler against him due to “lack of corroboration.”
Following the government’s assurance that the indictment would be lodged by June 15, the protesting wrestlers ceased their demonstration.
In the POCSO case, the police submitted a report requesting the case be dropped based on the statements of the complainant, who is the minor’s father, and the girl herself, according to a statement by Delhi Police PRO Suman Nalwa.
Supplemental Sessions On July 4, Judge Rajinder Singh of the Patiala House court considered the cancellation report.
Delhi Police wants POCSO case annulment after WFI chief’s charge sheet.
Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses Act (POCSO) minimum sentence is three years in prison. Nevertheless, it is subject to the section under which the offense falls.
In the other case involving female wrestlers, the Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate at the Rouse Avenue court, Deepak Kumar, set June 22 for consideration of the charge document.
The charge sheet was lodged under sections 354 (assault or criminal force against a woman with the intent to affront her modesty), 354A (sexual harassment), 354D (stalking), and 506 (criminal intimidation), said Special Public Prosecutor Atul Srivastava outside the court.
The wrestlers, who have demanded the arrest of the WFI president, are weighing their options following the filing of the indictment, according to sources.
A charge sheet has also been filed against Vinod Tomar, a suspended assistant secretary of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), for the offenses under sections 109 (abetting any offence, if the act abetted is committed as a result, and where there is no express provision for its punishment), 354, 354A and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code.
The protesting wrestlers have demanded Singh’s arrest, accusing him of sexually exploiting female wrestlers, including a minor.
On June 7, Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur met with Olympic medalists Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik and assured the agitated wrestlers that a charge sheet would be lodged in the case by June 15.
The Special Investigation Team has interrogated more than 180 individuals and also visited Singh’s home in Gonda, where it recorded statements from his relatives, colleagues, and associates.
The investigators also brought a female wrestler to Singh’s official residence in New Delhi to reenact the events leading up to the alleged crime.
If no indictment is brought by the deadline, the wrestlers will protest again.
After his meeting on June 7, Thakur conducted a press conference in which he reported that the wrestlers had proposed that the charge sheet in the case be filed by June 15 and that the WFI elections be held by June 30.
The wrestlers had also proposed the formation of a WFI Internal Complaints Committee led by a woman. All of these proposals were unequivocally approved by the sports minister.
As a result of the assurance, the grapplers have suspended their protest until June 15.
The protesting wrestlers have demanded Singh’s arrest, accusing him of sexually exploiting female wrestlers, including a minor.
