Brijbhushan sharan singh
– Photo: Social Media
Expansion
The court on Friday rejected the plea of BJP MP and former Wrestling Federation of India president Brij Bhushan Singh, accused in the female wrestler sexual harassment case, in which he had sought further investigation into the sexual harassment case filed against him by female wrestlers. Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Priyanka Rajput of Rouse Avenue Court will now pronounce order on framing of charges in the case on May 7.
On April 18, the court had postponed the order on framing of charges against Singh after the BJP MP filed an application. In his application, Singh sought permission to present further arguments upon framing of charges. He sought direction to Delhi Police to investigate regarding his presence at the WFI office on September 7, 2022, the alleged date of the incident.
He claimed that he was not in India on the relevant date. In the latest application, a demand has also been made to direct Delhi Police to keep the CDR on record. APP Atul Srivastava, appearing for Delhi Police, had opposed the application and said that it had been filed late. He said there must be some obstruction. He had argued that the application amounted to a demand for further investigation and would have legal implications that would have to be debated.
The counsel appearing for the complainants had said that there was a strategy to delay the application and documents could have been sought at the level of Section 207 of CrPC. Singh is on bail in the case along with co-accused Vinod Tomar, a former assistant secretary of the Wrestling Federation of India. Delhi Police had last month filed a charge sheet against him under sections 354, 354 A, 354 D and 506 (1) (criminal intimidation). However, a closure report has been filed in the POCSO case filed against Singh by a minor wrestler.
Female wrestlers have accused BJP MLA of sexual harassment. According to media reports, the alleged incidents of sexual harassment took place between 2016 and 2019 at the WFI office, Singh’s official residence and also abroad.