New Delhi (Agency): The sexual harassment case filed by six female wrestlers against BJP MP and outgoing Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh has been assigned to an Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) court for further proceedings. Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Mahima Rai Singh delegated the matter to ACMM Harjeet Singh Jaspal, who is already handling a related plea seeking a court-monitored probe into the allegations made by the women wrestlers.
The protest against Singh by prominent wrestlers, including Olympic medallists Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik, and Asian Games champion Vinesh Phogat, garnered support from various opposition parties and farmer organizations.
The city police filed a charge sheet on June 15, charging Singh with the alleged offences of sexual harassment and stalking. Considering the Delhi police prosecutor’s submission, CMM Mahima Rai Singh transferred the matter and the charge sheet to ACMM Harjeet Singh Jaspal, who will consider the case on June 27.
In a surprising turn of events, the father of one of the wrestlers involved, a minor, revealed to PTI that he and his daughter had filed a “false” police complaint of sexual harassment against Singh as an act of retaliation for perceived injustice against the girl.
The charge sheet, filed by the city police on June 15, includes sections 354 (Assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 354A (sexual harassment), 354D (stalking), and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). It also named Vinod Tomar, the suspended assistant secretary of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), for offences under sections 109 (abetment of any offence, if the act abetted is committed in consequence, and where no express provision is made for its punishment), 354, 354A, and 506 of the IPC.
The court’s decision to transfer the case to ACMM Harjeet Singh Jaspal indicates the progression of legal proceedings in this high-profile sexual harassment case. As the matter proceeds, the focus will be on ensuring a fair investigation and delivering justice for the victims while upholding the principles of due process. The allegations made by the wrestlers have sparked a larger conversation about the prevalence of sexual harassment in sports and the need for a safer environment for athletes.
