On July 20, a Delhi Court granted bail to BJP MP and outgoing Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) President Brij Bhushan Singh in a sexual harassment case, noting that the chargesheet has been filed without arrest and the accused “cooperated with investigation.” The court also granted bail to co-accused Vinod Tomar.
APP Atul Srivastava submitted that he is neither supporting nor opposing the bail application. He further submitted that the bail conditions must be imposed against the accused to prevent influencing witnesses. “He may influence witnesses so this condition may be imposed,” Srivastava said. The court noted, “APP submits that he is neither opposing nor supporting the bail application. His submission is only that court should deal with bail application as per law, rules, guidelines and judgements of Supreme Court.”
The complainant’s counsel Advocate Harsh Bora concurred with the APP’s stance, submitting that it is the court’s discretion whether to grant bail to the accused. “If your honour is inclined to grant bail, strict conditions may be imposed,” the counsel argued.
Furthermore, the accused’s counsel Advocate Rajiv Mohan further assured that the accused would abide by all conditions imposed against him. He further agreed to give an undertaking that no incident would happen if the complainant were under apprehension of threat. “There was no threat. And if they are apprehending, I am undertaking that no such incident will happen,” the counsel said.
On July 7, the court took cognisance of Delhi Police’s chargesheet and summoned the accused Brij Bhushan Singh and Vinod Tomar. The chargesheet has been filed under sections 354, 354D, 345A & 506 (1) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
One was registered under the Protection Of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, and a cancellation report has been filed in the case of a minor wrestler. The second FIR was filed on the complaint of several wrestlers. Both the FIRs mentioned several alleged instances of sexual harassment like inappropriate touching, groping, stalking and intimidation by Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh at different times and places over a decade.
In Patiala House Court, Delhi Police filed a cancellation report, citing a lack of evidence on the POCSO matter. On June 15, Delhi Police filed a report recommending the cancellation of the POCSO case against Brij Bhushan Singh. This comes after the minor, who had accused the WFI president of sexual harassment, changed her statement. There was no collaborative evidence in the case, Delhi Police said.
On April 21, seven female wrestlers, including a minor, filed separate complaints of sexual harassment and criminal intimidation against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. The wrestlers moved to the Supreme Court, stating that the police were not registering the FIRs. Subsequently, police registered two FIRs on April 28. The minor and her father, the complainant, later withdrew their allegations against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh in a fresh statement before a magistrate.
“Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh groped women athletes, asked inappropriate personal questions, demanded sexual favours to back their careers, brushed his hands across wrestlers,” the FIR said. Several Olympic and World Championship medal-winning wrestlers, including Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia, and Sangeeta Phogat, protested for months in New Delhi, demanding the arrest of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh for allegedly sexually harassing several women grapplers.
The police only filed an FIR against the accused BJP MP after the intervention of the Supreme Court last month. Sensing a further delay in the investigation, the wrestlers had threatened to immerse their medals in the river Ganga. Sports Minister Anurag Thakur met the wrestlers and assured them of his full support and protection, after which the protest was suspended.
