The Aryavarth Express
Agency (New Delhi): A Delhi court on Tuesday framed charges of sexual harassment, intimidation, and outraging the modesty of women against former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief and six-time Lok Sabha MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. The charges stem from a criminal case filed by female wrestlers.
Singh pleaded not guilty to the charges, asserting his innocence. “Why will I plead guilty when I am not guilty?” Singh stated to Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) Priyanka Rajpoot.
In the same case, the court also framed a charge of criminal intimidation against co-accused and former WFI assistant secretary Vinod Tomar. The judge scheduled further proceedings for June 1, noting there was “sufficient evidence” to proceed against Singh.
The charges against Singh were framed under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 354 (assault or criminal force to a woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 354A (sexual harassment), and 506 (criminal intimidation). The judge emphasized, “There is sufficient evidence to frame charges against the accused.”
However, Singh was discharged from a complaint filed by one of the six women wrestlers due to insufficient evidence to support her claim. In the wake of the allegations, Singh, an influential Rajput leader from Uttar Pradesh, was denied a BJP ticket for the Kaiserganj Lok Sabha seat. Instead, the BJP fielded his son, Karan Bhushan Singh, in Kaiserganj.
The Delhi Police had filed a charge sheet against Singh on June 15, under sections 354, 354A, 354D (stalking), and 506 of the IPC. Another Delhi court is expected to decide in July whether to accept a police report seeking the cancellation of a sexual harassment complaint filed by a minor wrestler against Singh.
During in-chamber proceedings on August 1, the minor wrestler expressed satisfaction with the Delhi Police’s investigation and did not oppose the closure report they submitted. The police had recommended dropping the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act case against Singh after the girl’s father admitted to making false allegations out of perceived injustice to his daughter. However, Singh was still charged with sexual harassment and stalking in a separate case based on complaints from six women wrestlers.
The police recommended canceling the minor wrestler’s complaint, citing “no corroborative evidence.” The POCSO Act mandates a minimum imprisonment of three years, depending on the sections under which a crime is registered. Despite the closure report, the court must decide whether to accept it or order further investigation.