Wrestling Body Chief To Face Sex Harassment, Stalking Charges, Say Cops

The Delhi Police today filed a 1,000-page chargesheet against wrestling body chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh over sexual harassment charges levelled against him by female wrestlers. 

The cops also filed a 500-page cancellation report in the ‘minor’s’ case against Mr Singh. The police have recommended cancellation of the sexual harassment case against him filed by a minor and told the court that no corroborative evidence has been found in the investigation.

The chargesheet includes offences such as assault or criminal force to a woman with intent to outrage her modesty, sexual harassment and stalking.

“In the POCSO matter, after completion of the investigation, we have submitted a police report under section 173 Cr PC requesting for a cancellation of the case based upon statements of the complainant i.e., the father of the victim and the victim herself,” the Delhi Police said in a statement. 

“In the FIR registered by the wrestlers, after completion of the investigation, we are filing a chargesheet for the offences under sections 354, 354A , 354D IPC against accused Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and for offences under sections109/ 354/354A/506 IPC against accused Vinod Tomar before the concerned Hon’ble Court,” the statement continued. 

The hearing on the cancellation of the minor’s case has been scheduled for July 4.

On April 21, seven female wrestlers, one of whom was allegedly a minor, filed a police complaint against Mr Singh, accusing him of sexual harassment and other forms of misconduct. The complaint was followed by a protest by the wrestlers in the national capital. 

Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur met with Olympic medal-winning wrestlers Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik last week and assured them that the chargesheet in the case would be filed by June 15. Following this assurance, the wrestlers suspended their protest.

The Delhi Police have requested information from wrestling federations in five countries about alleged sexual harassment incidents involving Mr Singh. The investigation team seeks photos, videos, and CCTV footage from the tournaments and the places where the wrestlers stayed during their matches. 

As part of the ongoing probe into the allegations, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) has questioned more than 180 people and filed two FIRs against Mr Singh.

On Friday, the Delhi Police took a woman wrestler to Mr Singh’s office, as part of their investigation into allegations of sexual harassment. The wrestler was accompanied by a team of women police officers. Mr Singh’s official residence houses the office of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI).

The woman wrestler arrived at the WFI office at 1:30 pm, accompanied by a team of women police officers. They spent half an hour at the office, during which time the wrestler was asked to recreate the scene of the alleged harassment and recall the places where she felt harassed.

The protesting wrestlers have urged the WFI to form an Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) headed by a woman, a proposal approved by Mr Thakur. The government has also agreed not to allow Mr Singh and his associates to contest the upcoming wrestling body elections. 

The WFI will go to polls on July 6.