Wrestlers Protest: 1500 page charge sheet filed against Brij Bhushan, POSCO cancelled

New Delhi: The Delhi Police on Thursday filed a charge sheet against Bharatiya Janta Party member of Parliament and Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh for the offences of sexual harassment and stalking. The police recommended cancellation of a complaint filed by a minor wrestler against him, citing "no corroborative evidence".

The union government had assured the agitating wrestlers that the charge sheet in the case would be filed by June 15, following which they had suspended their stir.

The chargesheet runs in 1500 pages and of which 500 pages is the recommendation of cancellation of complaint of minor.

Cancellation of POSCO charges

In the Protection of Children in Sexual Offences Act 2021 issue, the police submitted a report requesting for cancellation of the case based upon the statements of the complainant, who is the father of the minor, and the girl herself, a statement issued by Delhi Police public relations officer Suman Nalwa.

Additional Sessions Judge Rajinder Singh in Patiala House court put the cancellation report for consideration on July 4.

The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) entails a minimum imprisonment of three years. However, it is subjected to the section under which the crime is falling.

Complaint of women wrestlers

In the other case filed on the complaint of women wrestlers, Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Deepak Kumar at Rouse Avenue court put up the charge sheet for June 22 for consideration.

The charge sheet was filed under sections 354 (Assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 354A (sexual harassment), 354D (stalking) and 506 (criminal intimidation), Special Public Prosecutor Atul Srivastava said outside the court.

The wrestlers, who have demanded arrest of the WFI chief, are contemplating their next move following the filing of the charge sheet, sources said.

The charge sheet has also been filed against Vinod Tomar, a suspended assistant secretary of the Wrestling Federation of India (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 and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC.

Wrestlers protest

Olympic medallists protested against Singh since January 2023. India’s top medallist Bajrang Punia, two time world champion Vinesh Phogat, Rio Olympic medallist Sakshi Mallik became the face of the protest and demanded that he must be arrested. Their agitation got the United World Wrestling expressing disappointment for the lack of investigation despite their agitation.

Mounting pressure

The pressure from various quarters led to Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur meeting the Olympic medallists Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik on June 7th. He assured the agitating wrestlers that the charge sheet in the case would be filed by June 15.

Investigation details

The Special Investigation Team has questioned more than 180 people and also went to Singh's residence in Gonda where it recorded statements of the outgoing WFI chief's relatives, colleagues, house staff and his associates.

The investigators also took a woman wrestler to the official residence of Singh in New Delhi to recreate the sequence of events that led to the alleged crime.

The wrestlers have threatened to resume their protest if a charge sheet is not filed by the specified period.

WFI elections by June 30

The protesting wrestlers also suggested to union minister Thakur to hold the elections of WFI 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 minister.

Inputs from PTI