Court charges BJP MP Brij Bhushan Singh for sexual harassment of female wrestlers

DELHI'S Rouse Avenue court ordered the 'framing of charges' against former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh on Friday in the sexual harassment case lodged against him by six women wrestlers.

The court has listed the matter for the official framing of charges on May 21, 2024.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Priyanka Rajpoot, while ordering charges against the former WFI chief, said that there is sufficient material against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh to proceed with the sexual harassment allegations involving five women wrestlers.

However, the court acquitted the BJP MP of the sexual harassment charges levelled by the sixth woman wrestler. While framing charges against the sitting MP from Kaiserganj, the court stated that charges have also been framed against him under section 506 (part 1) based on the allegations of two women.

The court also ordered the framing of charges for criminal intimidation (Section 506 of IPC) and using force to outrage women's modesty against ex-WFI chief Brij Bhushan Singh.

"Charges were framed against Brij Bhushan under sections 354 (outraging a woman's modesty) and 354A (sexual harassment) in respect of each victim," the Court said.

The Delhi Court also ordered the framing of charges against ex-WFI assistant secretary Vinod Tomar under Section 506 (sexual harassment) of IPC in the case filed by the women wrestlers.

Reacting to the Delhi court's order of framing of charges against him, the BJP MP said, “Prima facie the court has framed the charges today. Except for one case, they have framed charges in the remaining cases. I welcome the decision of the judiciary and now doors have opened for me..."

Earlier, Brij Bhushan had sought a direction to place on record the CDR of coach Vijender concerning an alleged incident at the WFI office in New Delhi. Singh claimed that he was not in Delhi on the said date. He was in Serbia on September 7, 2022.

Delhi Police had filed a charge sheet in the case against Singh, a 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.