NEW DELHI: A Delhi court is expected to pronounce on April 26 its order on whether to frame charges against former Wrestling Federation of India chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh in a sexual harassment case lodged by six female wrestlers against him.
It bears noting that the original complaint of sexual harassment and stalking against the powerful BJP MP was made by a group of seven female wrestlers, which including a minor. However, in July 2023, the then 17-year-old retracted her allegations.
Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) Priyanka Rajpoot, who was scheduled to pass order on Thursday, deferred the matter after Singh moved an application before the court seeking further probe in the matter, PTI reports.
In his application, Singh sought time for making further submissions on charges and for further investigation, claiming he was not in India on the date of one of the incidents, where a complainant has alleged that she was harassed at the WFI office.
The public prosecutor opposed the application, stating that it was “merely a delay tactic being used by the defence”.
Singh’s plea was opposed by the Delhi Police, which said the former WFI chief had enough time to make these arguments earlier.
The counsel for the petitioners called Brij Bhushan’s application a ‘delaying tactic’.
The judge reserved order on the issue and posted the matter for April 26.
The Delhi Police had filed its charge sheet against Brij Bhushan, a six-time MP, on June 15 last year 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).
The police had also charged Vinod Tomar, the suspended assistant secretary of the WFI, in the case.
Brij Bhushan and Tomar had secured bail in the case on July 20 last year.
