E-Paper
Delhi court seeks status report on probe against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh
Additional chief metropolitan magistrate Harjeet Singh Jaspal sought the report by May 12 when the matter will be heard next
A local court on Wednesday sought a status report from the Delhi Police on the probe being carried out following the registration of cases against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh on April 28 over the alleged sexual harassment of top wrestlers.
Two first information reports (FIR) were filed against Singh hours after the Supreme Court heard the matter. The athletes last year first went public with the charges against Singh, who is also a Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) Member of Parliament.
Additional chief metropolitan magistrate Harjeet Singh Jaspal sought the report by May 12 when the matter will be heard next. He was hearing a petition of seven wrestlers seeking direction from the Delhi Police to file it.
The petition has also sought a court-monitored investigation of the case and directions to the police to record statements of the complainants under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. The provision authorises a magistrate to record statements.
A copy of the two FIRs filed against Singh was also given to the court.
Advocate S S Hooda, appearing for the wrestlers, told before the court that the wrestlers filed a complaint on April 21 but no action was taken.
He pointed out that due to the inaction of the Delhi Police, they approached the Supreme Court, which issued a notice to the Delhi Police on April 25.
Hooda said the statements of the complaints have not been recorded to date despite the filing of the FIRs. He added police were mandated to record the statements within 24 hours of the filing of FIRs.
The first FIR was registered against Singh under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act and relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code on the basis of a minor player’s complaint. The second FIR was filed in connection to allegations made of the other adult complainants.
Top wrestlers, including Olympic bronze medallists Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik, and two-time World Championships medallist Vinesh Phogat, have been sitting at New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar demanding that Singh be arrested over charges of sexual harassment.
The athletes have maintained that a police complaint was not enough for them to withdraw their sit-in.
