News Brief
WFI Chief 'Liable To Be Prosecuted And Punished' For Sexual Harassment, Molestation And Stalking: Delhi Police Chargesheet
WFI Chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh (Facebook)
The Delhi Police in its chargesheet has accused Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh of sexual harassment, molestation, and stalking.
Based on the "investigation so far", of the complaints by six top wrestlers, Singh was “liable to be prosecuted and punished for offences”, the chargesheet states.
The chargesheet, dated 13 June, invokes Sections 506, 354, 354A, and 354D of the Indian Penal Code. It highlights that Singh's harassment, in one case, was "repeated and continuing".
Singh has been booked under IPC Sections 354, 354A, and 354D in two of the six cases, while the remaining four cases fall under Sections 354 and 354A. These charges carry a maximum prison term of five years.
The Delhi Police, as per the chargesheet reviewed by The Indian Express, has requested the court to summon Singh and the witnesses involved in the cases.
“The accused may please be summoned to face trial and witnesses named in the list of witnesses appended with the chargesheet may be called for their examination along with documents mentioned with their names,” the chargesheet states.
According to the chargesheet, the investigators interviewed 108 witnesses, out of which 15, including wrestlers, coaches, and referees, supported the allegations made by the wrestlers.
During questioning by the Delhi police, Singh had denied all allegations and claimed to have never met the wrestlers or possessed their phone numbers, according to an annexure in the chargesheet.
The wrestlers' complaints include 15 incidents of alleged sexual harassment, consisting of 10 instances of inappropriate touching and several cases of intimidation, including stalking.
The Delhi Police have included corroborative statements of witnesses related to specific allegations of six wrestlers in the chargesheet.
The Special Investigation Team of the Delhi Police conducted visits to various locations including Rohtak, Sonipat, Lucknow, Patiala, Kurukshetra, Hissar, Bhiwani, Chandigarh, and Bellary in Karnataka for the probe in the matter.
Support Swarajya's 50 Ground Reports Project & Sponsor A Story
Every general election Swarajya does a 50 ground reports project.
Aimed only at serious readers and those who appreciate the nuances of political undercurrents, the project provides a sense of India's electoral landscape. As you know, these reports are produced after considerable investment of travel, time and effort on the ground.
This time too we've kicked off the project in style and have covered over 30 constituencies already. If you're someone who appreciates such work and have enjoyed our coverage please consider sponsoring a ground report for just Rs 2999 to Rs 19,999 - it goes a long way in helping us produce more quality reportage.
You can also back this project by becoming a subscriber for as little as Rs 999 - so do click on this links and choose a plan that suits you and back us.
Click below to contribute.
Latest
