Delhi's Rouse Avenue court summons WFI chief Brij Bhushan on sexual harassment charges

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Harjeet Singh Jaspal, taking cognisance of chargesheet filed, directed Brij Bhushan to appear before court on July 18.

Updated on: Jul 7, 2023, 16:08:03 IST

By HT News Desk

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Former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh was summoned by Delhi's Rouse Avenue court for the alleged sexual harassment of several women wrestlers on Friday.

BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh (PTI/File)

The court said that there was enough evidence against Brij Bhushan to proceed with the case.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) Harjeet Singh Jaspal, taking cognisance of the chargesheet filed against the BJP MP, directed him to appear before the court on July 18.

A chargesheet was filed against six-time MP Brij Bhushan under sections 354, 354D, 345A of the IPC for stalking and sexual harassment on June 15.

Along with Brij Bhushan, the court also summoned suspended assistant secretary of WFI Vinod Tomar. He was charged with 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 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC.

Complaint under POSCO against Brij Bhushan

Among the seven women wrestlers who accused Brij Bhushan of sexual harassment, a minor had also filed a case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

However, the Delhi Police asked the Patiala house court for it to be cancelled, days after the minor complainant withdrew her statement against Singh before a district magistrate. In a 552-page cancellation report, the police cited statements from the minor wrestler, her father, Singh, and other witnesses. A cancellation report is filed in cases when no corroborative evidence is found. The court will hear the matter next on July 4.

Wrestlers protest

Renowned Indian wrestlers including Sakshi Malik, Bajrang Punia, and Vinesh Phogat held protests for 38 days at Delhi's Jantar Mantar demanding Singh's arrest until the police detained them for violating law and order on May 28. They suspended their protest after union minister Anurag Thakur met these wrestlers and assured them that the charge sheet in the case would be filed by June 15.'

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