The Delhi Police has recommended dropping the charges under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) against BJP MP and outgoing Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. However, Singh has been charged with sexual harassment and stalking of six women wrestlers.
The decision comes after the Government assured the agitating wrestlers, including Olympic medallists Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik, and Vinesh Phogat, that a chargesheet would be filed by June 15. As a result, the wrestlers suspended their protest, which was demanding Singh’s arrest on allegations of sexual harassment, including against a minor. Singh has consistently denied all the charges levelled against him.
Based on the statements of the complainant, who is the father of the minor wrestler, and the girl herself, the police recommended canceling the complaint filed by the minor.
The Delhi Police PRO Suman Nalwa issued a statement mentioning that there is “no corroborative evidence” supporting the charges.
Under the POCSO Act, sexual offenses against children carry a minimum imprisonment of three years, depending on the section under which the crime falls. However, the court will decide whether to accept the police’s closure report or order further investigation.
The cancellation report will be considered by Additional Sessions Judge Rajinder Singh in Patiala House court on July 4. Meanwhile, when asked about their future course of action, Sakshi Malik’s husband and wrestler Satyawart Kadian stated, “We are still discussing the matter. We will let you know.”
The Congress strongly criticised the police’s recommendation for cancelling the complaint, claiming that it disregards the cry for justice from India’s daughters and is a result of Government intervention.
The BJP’s new slogan is “Beti Darao, Brij Bhushan Bachao” (scare the daughter, protect Bhushan), said Congress general secretary Randeep Surjewala.
In another case filed by women wrestlers, the chargesheet has been put up for consideration on June 22 by Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Deepak Kumar at Rouse Avenue court. The chargesheet includes sections 354 (Assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 354A (sexual harassment), 354D (stalking), and 506 (criminal intimidation). Vinod Tomar, a suspended assistant secretary of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), has also been charged under sections 109 (abetment of any offense), 354, 354A, and 506 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur, on June 7, met with Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik, assuring them that the charge sheet in the case would be filed by June 15.
The Special Investigation Team has already questioned over 180 people and conducted investigations at Singh’s residence in Gonda. Statements from Singh’s relatives, colleagues, house staff, and associates have been recorded. Additionally, a woman wrestler was taken to Singh’s official residence in New Delhi to recreate the sequence of events leading to the alleged crime.
The wrestlers have threatened to resume their protest if a charge sheet is not filed within the specified period. After his meeting on June 7, Thakur addressed a Press conference and said the wrestlers had suggested that the chargesheet in the case be filed by June 15 and the WFI elections be held by June 30.
The wrestlers had also suggested that an Internal Complaints Committee of WFI headed by a woman be formed. All these proposals were agreed to unanimously by the Sports Minister.
Following the assurance, the grapplers suspended their agitation till June 15. The protesting wrestlers have been demanding the arrest of Singh, who they have accused of sexually exploiting women wrestlers, including a minor. Sources said the about 1500-page chargesheet filed against Singh elaborates statements of all the six female wrestlers with supporting evidence, police sources said on Thursday.
Out of the over 200 statements of the witnesses recorded as part of the investigation, only statements of those relevant and supporting the allegations made by the victims have been mentioned in the chargesheet, they said.
The sources also said only statements of 100 witnesses were found to be relevant to the case but among those, only statements of very few witnesses corroborated with that of the allegations made by the victims.
“All the six female complainants in the case recorded their statements in detail and we have collected supporting evidence which are in the form of call details record (available from last year), photos and videos are part of the charge sheet,” a police source said.
The chargesheet discusses each of the victim’s case separately with supporting evidence in each, the sources said.
Statements of the eyewitnesses, co-participants, tournament referees and staff are part of the charge sheet, they said, adding a supplementary charge sheet will be filed as and when more witnesses and evidence related to the case are received.
As part of the probe, the Delhi Police has also written to wrestling federations of five nations seeking details in connection with the alleged incidents of sexual harassment by Singh, but their reply is awaited. Once these are received, the details will also be included in the charge sheet, the sources said.
The notices were sent seeking photos and video of the tournaments and the CCTV footage of the places where the wrestlers stayed during their matches, they said.
The Government had assured the agitating wrestlers that the chargesheet in the case would be filed by June 15, following which they had suspended their stir.
In this case against Singh lodged on the basis of a complaint from six women wrestlers, the charge sheet has been filed for the offences under sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 354A (sexual harassment) and 354D (stalking) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
The chargesheet has also been filed against Vinod Tomar, a suspended assistant secretary of the WFI, for the offences under 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 an 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC.