Delhi court rejects Brij Bhushan’s plea seeking further probe in sexual harassment case

A Delhi court on Friday rejected a petition moved by former Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh that sought further investigation into the sexual harassment case filed against him by women wrestlers, Live Law reported.

Six women wrestlers have accused Singh, a Bharatiya Janata Party MP, of sexual harassment. The Delhi Police registered the first information reports against him in April 2023, following the intervention of the Supreme Court in the matter.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Priyanka Rajpoot at the Rouse Avenue Courts, while rejecting Singh’s application on Friday, said that an order on the framing of the charges against him in the case will be pronounced on May 7.

Earlier this month, the court had deferred the order on the framing of the charges after the BJP MP moved an application seeking further investigation in the case to make more submissions.

Singh had also sought a direction from the court to the Delhi Police to look into the allegations related to his presence at the office of the Wrestling Federation of India on September 7, 2022, the date of one of the alleged incidents.

The BJP MP alleged that he was not in the country at the time.

In response, the Delhi Police had opposed Singh’s application, saying that it had been moved at a belated stage.

The application would also have legal implications that would have to be argued, the Delhi Police said.

Singh is currently out on bail in the case.

Allegations against Brij Bhushan

In June 2023, the Delhi Police had filed a chargesheet against Singh months after India’s top wrestlers, including Olympic medallists Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia as well as two-time World Championship medallist Vinesh Phogat, had launched protests seeking his arrest.

Details of the FIRs against the politician show that he allegedly demanded sexual favours in exchange for professional help from at least two female wrestlers as well as harassed over half a dozen players.

Singh has been booked under Indian Penal Code sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 354-A (sexual harassment), 354-D (stalking) and 506 (criminal intimidation).