Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, a Member of Parliament from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), appeared before Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court on Tuesday to answer charges of sexual harassment involving women wrestlers. Singh maintained his innocence and pleaded not guilty to the offense, asserting that he had not committed any mistake.
The Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Priyanka Rajpoot, questioned Singh about accepting his mistake and pleading guilty, to which Singh firmly replied that there was no question of him making any mistake. Co-accused Vinod Tomar also pleaded not guilty to the offense. Consequently, the matter will proceed to trial.
On May 10, the Court framed charges against Singh for sexual harassment and outraging the modesty of five women wrestlers. Judge Rajpoot stated that there was sufficient evidence to support charges against Singh under Sections 354 (outraging modesty of a woman), 354A (sexual harassment), and 506(1) (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code. Additionally, charges were framed against Vinod Tomar, the former Assistant Secretary of the Wrestling Federation of India, for the offense of criminal intimidation against Victim No. 1.
Six wrestlers came forward with allegations of sexual harassment against Singh, leading to the registration of a First Information Report (FIR) by the police. Subsequently, on June 15, 2023, the police filed a chargesheet against Singh under Sections 354 (outraging modesty), 354A (sexually colored remarks), 354D (stalking), and 506(1) (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code.
The complainants initially approached the Supreme Court seeking the registration of an FIR against Singh. The Delhi Police informed the Supreme Court that an FIR had been registered, and the investigation was underway. Notably, one of the wrestlers, a minor, later withdrew her complaint, leading the Delhi Police to file a cancellation report under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO Act).
As the case proceeds to trial, the court will examine the evidence and make a determination based on the facts presented.
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