A Delhi court is preparing to deliver its verdict on a high-profile sexual harassment case involving former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of Parliament, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. This case has attracted significant attention due to the involvement of multiple female wrestlers who have accused Singh of misconduct.
The Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, Ashwini Panwar, of the Rouse Avenue Courts, announced that the judgment will be pronounced on August 3. This announcement follows a series of arguments presented by Senior Advocate Rebecca John, representing the female wrestlers, Advocate Rajiv Mohan, representing Singh, and the public prosecutor for the Delhi government.
The allegations against Singh were initially raised by six female wrestlers, prompting the Delhi Police to register a first information report (FIR). On June 15, 2023, police submitted a chargesheet against Singh, citing offenses under several sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including Section 354 for outraging modesty, Section 354A for making sexually colored remarks, Section 354D for stalking, and Section 506(1) for criminal intimidation.
The trial court, on May 10, 2024, found enough evidence to frame charges against Singh for sexual harassment and outraging the modesty of women, specifically concerning five wrestlers. Additionally, charges under Section 506(1) of the IPC were framed against Singh for criminal intimidation in relation to two of the complainants.
In a related development, Vinod Tomar, the former Assistant Secretary of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), was also charged with criminal intimidation for allegedly threatening one of the victims.
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It’s noteworthy that one of the complainants was a minor, who had initially accused Singh of misconduct. However, she subsequently retracted her complaint, leading the Delhi Police to file a cancellation report under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO Act). Consequently, this particular case was closed.
