Charge sheet filed against WFI chief, Delhi Police seeks cancellation of POCSO case

 'Black day' for Indian sports, says Cong

PTI | New Delhi | 15-06-2023 : Delhi Police on Thursday recommended dropping of POCSO charges against BJP MP and outgoing WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh but charged him with sexual harassment and stalking six women wrestlers.

The government had assured the agitating wrestlers including Olympic medalists Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik and fellow Olympian Vinesh Phogat that the charge sheet would be filed by June 15, following which they had suspended their stir. They were demanding Singh's arrest on allegations of sexual harassment against seven wrestlers, including the minor. Singh has denied all the charges.

The police recommended the cancellation of the complaint filed by the minor wrestler against Singh, citing ''no corroborative evidence''.

The police submitted a report based upon the statements of the complainant, who is the father of the minor, and the girl herself, a statement issued by Delhi Police PRO Suman Nalwa said.

The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) entails a minimum imprisonment of three years, depending on what section the crime falls in. However, the court may take a call on whether to accept the police's closure report or direct further investigation.

Additional Sessions Judge Rajinder Singh in Patiala House court put the cancellation report for consideration on July 4. Meanwhile, Malik's husband and wrestler Satyawart Kadian when asked about their future course of action, said, ''We are still discussing the matter. We will let you know.'' The Congress reacted strongly to the police's recommendation for cancellation of the complaint, saying the cry for justice of India's daughters has been ''consigned to the dustbin and buried'' by the government.

The BJP's new slogan is ''Beti Darao, Brij Bhushan Bachao'', Congress general secretary Randeep Surjewala said.

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 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. On June 7, Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur met Punia and Malik and assured that the charge sheet in the case would be filed by June 15.

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.

After his meeting on June 7, Thakur addressed a press conference and said the wrestlers had suggested that the charge sheet 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.