Delhi court grants interim bail to Brij Bhushan in sexual harassment case

PTI, New Delhi, Jul 18, 2023 :  A Delhi court Tuesday granted two-day interim bail to the embattled Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh in the sexual harassment case lodged by women wrestlers.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Harjeet Singh granted relief to the outgoing WFI president on a personal bond of Rs 25,000.

The court also granted bail to Vinod Tomar, the suspended WFI assistant secretary, in the case.

Singh, who has been at the centre of a massive scandal following allegations of sexual harassment levelled by six women wrestlers and a minor grappler, and Tomar appeared before the court in the case for the first time pursuant to summons issued to them and sought bail.

Notwithstanding vociferous protests by several medal- winning wrestlers, farmer groups and opposition politicians, Singh was never arrested in the case, and has consistently rejected all allegations of misconduct.

At today’s hearing, Singh’s counsel alleged a media trial was going on against him. The metropolitan magistrate then advised the lawyer that he can either move an application in the metropolitan court itself or the high court for relief and an appropriate order will be passed. However, no such application was moved before the metropolitan court on Singh’s behalf.

The court then granted interim bail to Singh and Tomar till Thursday, when his regular bail petition will be considered.

The Delhi Police had filed a charge sheet against the six-time MP on June 15 under sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 354A (sexual harassment), 354D (stalking) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Tomar was charged with offences under IPC 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).

Besides the present case involving six women wrestlers, another FIR was registered against Singh pursuant to allegations made by the minor grappler, which was registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. She was among the seven female wrestlers who had accused Singh of sexual harassment.

Both the FIRs spoke of several alleged instances of sexual harassment like inappropriate touching, groping, stalking and intimidation by Singh at different times and places over a decade.

The minor wrestler’s father had later claimed the allegations levelled by her against the MP were “false” and aimed at getting even with him over perceived injustice to the girl.

In the minor’s case, the court had on July 4 sought a response from the girl and the complainant on the final report filed by Delhi Police seeking cancellation of the case against Singh.

Delhi Police had on June 15 submitted the report seeking cancellation of the FIR filed with regard to the allegation of sexual harassment against Singh.

A cancellation report is filed in cases where police fail to find corroborative evidence after due investigation.

The cause of the women wrestlers was taken up by decorated grapplers like Olympic medallists Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik, and Asian Games champion Vinesh Phogat. The protest by celebrity wrestlers drew support from a host of opposition parties and farmer organisations.