A Delhi court on Friday, May 10, ordered framing of charges against ex-Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Singh in sexual harassment case lodged by six female wrestlers. Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) Priyanka Rajpoot also discharged Singh in a complaint filed by one of the six women wrestlers.
The court ordered framing of charge for criminal intimidation against Singh. It will formally frame the charges on May 21.
Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh has been accused of sexually harassing female wrestlers by top athletes of India, including Sakshee Mallikkh, Vinesh Phogat etc., who have held long agitations demanding action against him.
Brij Bhushan Singh, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP, has also been dropped by the party from contention for the ongoing Lok Sabha elections 2024 owing to the allegations against him.
On Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court ordering framing of charges against him, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh said on Friday, "Prima facie the court has framed the charges today. Except for one case, they have framed charges in the remaining cases. I welcome the decision of the judiciary and now doors have opened for me..."
Delhi city police had filed a charge sheet in the case against Singh, a six-time MP, on June 15 under sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 354A (sexual harassment), 354D (stalking) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC.
The police had also charged Vinod Tomar, the suspended assistant secretary of the WFI, in the case. The Delhi court on Friday also ordered framing of charges against co-accused and former WFI assistant secretary Vinod Tomar in the case.
The wrestlers vs WFI faceoff has seen many developments since last year, ranging from the massive agitation by top athletes of the country at Delhi's Jantar Mantar to them heading to immerse medals in the Ganges in Uttarakhand's Haridwar in a desperate attempt to get government's intervention in the case.
The protest began on January 18 when top wrestlers Sakshee Malikkh, Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia staged a dharna at Jantar Mantar and accused WFI chief Brij Bhushan Singh of sexual harassment. The wrestlers alleged an environment of “fear and intimidation” in national camps and said even some national coaches acted on Singh’s behalf.
Vinesh said she had received death threats from WFI officials close to the president. They called for the dissolution of WFI, the removal of its then president, and a probe into the matter.
