Wrestlers' FIR: Chargesheet Filed Against Brij Bhushan As Delhi Police Probes Sexual Harassment Allegations
The court has scheduled the next hearing of the case on July 4, 2023.
New Delhi: The Delhi Police on Thursday filed a chargesheet in the second FIR pertaining to sexual harassment allegations against the outgoing WFI president before the Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate in the Rouse Avenue Court.
A cancellation report has been filed in the Protection Of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO Act) case at Patiala House Court.
The court has scheduled the next hearing of the case on July 4, 2023.
While speaking to ANI, Delhi Police, PRO, Suman Nalwa said, "Chargesheet filed against former WFI chief under sections 354, 354D, 354A IPC. In the POCSO case, we've filed a cancellation report on the basis of the statement of the father of the alleged victim and the victim."
#WATCH | Chargesheet filed against former WFI chief under sections 354, 354D, 354A IPC. In the POCSO case, we've filed a cancellation report on the basis of the statement of the father of the alleged victim and the victim: Suman Nalwa, PRO, Delhi Police on Brij Bhushan Sharan… pic.twitter.com/zHn56oUPNw
— ANI (@ANI) June 15, 2023
This comes after Union Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs Anurag Thakur had last week assured protesting wrestlers that the Delhi Police has been asked to file the chargesheet by June 15, while announcing that the wrestlers had agreed to withdraw all forms of protest till the aforementioned date.
Meanwhile, the chargesheet filed at the Rouse Avenue Court has more than 1 thousand pages, as per inputs.
"In the FIR registered by the wrestlers, after completion of investigation, we are filing a chargesheet for the offences under sections 354, 354A, 354D IPC against accused Brijbhushan Sharan Singh and for offences under sections109/ 354/354A/506 IPC against accused Vinod Tomar before the concerned Hon'ble Court," the police stated.
On the Cancellation report, they mentioned, "In the POCSO matter, after completion of 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 had filed two FIRs against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. The first FIR relates to allegations by the minor wrestler and was registered under the POCSO Act while the second is related to outraging modesty. The FIRs narrate several alleged instances of sexual harassment, inappropriate touching, groping, stalking and intimidation by Singh at different times and places over a decade.
A Cancellation Report is filed in cases when no corroborative evidence is found.
The Cancellation Report comes after the father of the minor wrestler, on whose complaint a case was registered under the POCSO Act, claimed that Brij Bhushan did not sexually harass his daughter, but discriminated against her. In interviews with multiple news platforms, the minor wrestler's father said that the WFI chief had not sexually harassed his daughter, but his approach was "partial in nature against her". He said they levelled the charge of sexual harassment out of "anger" and that some of the claims made by them were "false".