A Delhi Court, on Friday, May 10, has framed sexual harassment charges against Brij Bhushan Singh, who is a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP and former president of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI). He was accused of sexual harassment by at least six wrestlers. The court has framed charges for several offences, including sexual harassment.
According to a LiveLaw report, Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) Priyanka Rajpoot of Rouse Avenue Courts said that the court found sufficient proof to frame charges against Brij Bhushan for offences under section 354 (outraging modesty of woman) and 354A (sexual harassment) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), pertaining to the complaint of five survivors. In the case of two survivors, the court framed charges under section 506(i) (criminal intimidation) of IPC. The court, however, discharged Brij Bhushan with regard to the allegations of another survivor.
The co-accused in the case and former WFI assistant Secretary Vinod Tomar has been framed for offences under section 506(i) of IPC in the case of one survivor. “For the remaining offences, he stands discharged,” the court said.
The Delhi Police’s charge sheet running over 1,000 pages was filed at the Rose Avenue Court for the offences under Sections 354 (Assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 354A (making sexually coloured remarks), 354D (stalking) of Indian Penal Code (IPC) against accused Singh. Tomar was accused of offences under Sections 109 (abetting officer), 354, 354A, 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC. Reportedly, the charge sheet contains statements of around 200 witnesses.
In the FIR registered at Connaught Place police station, it has been alleged by the six grapplers that Singh allegedly attempted to coerce one athlete into sexual acts by offering to provide her with “supplements”, invited another wrestler to his bed and hugged her, besides assaulting and inappropriately touching other athletes. Two FIRs against him detail at least 15 incidents of sexual harassment that include 10 episodes of inappropriate touching, molestation that includes running hands over breasts, touching the navel; several instances of intimidation including stalking — and a shared sense of fear and trauma”. The former WFI president has denied all allegations.