Brij Bhushan to Face Sex Harassment, Stalking Charges

New Delhi: Wrestling body chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh will face sexual harassment and stalking charges, the Delhi Police said today after filing a 1,000- page report on its investigations into allegations that triggered massive protests by wrestlers. Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who is also a BJP MP, will face charges like “outraging the modesty of a woman”, which is non-bailable, besides sex harassment and stalking, both bailable offences. He will, however, not face stringent charges under POCSO or Protection of Children from Sexual Offences after the Delhi police, in a 500-page report, sought the cancellation of a case filed by a wrestler who had earlier claimed she was a minor when the assault allegedly took place. “We have submitted a police report under section 173 requesting a cancellation of the case based on statements of the complainant – the father of the victim and the victim herself,”
said the Delhi Police. The case will be heard next by the court on July 4. On April 21, seven female wrestlers, one of whom was allegedly a minor, filed a police complaint against Mr Singh, accusing him of sexual harassment and other forms of misconduct. The complaint was followed by a protest by the wrestlers in the national capital.

Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur had, in a meeting with Olympic medal-winning wrestlers Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik last week, assured them that the charge sheet in the case would be filed by June 15. Following this assurance, the wrestlers paused their protest. The Delhi Police requested information from wrestling federations in five countries about alleged sexual harassment incidents involving Mr Singh. The investigation team sought photos, videos, and CCTV footage from the tournaments and the places where the wrestlers stayed during their matches. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) questioned more than 180 people and filed two FIRs against Mr Singh. On Friday, the Delhi Police even took a woman wrestler to Mr Singh’s office in their investigation into allegations of sexual harassment. The wrestler was accompanied by a team of women police officers. Mr Singh’s official residence houses the office of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI). The wrestler was asked to recreate the scene of the alleged harassment. The protesting wrestlers have urged the WFI to form an Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) headed by a woman, a proposal approved by Mr Thakur. The government has also agreed not to allow Mr Singh and his associates to contest the upcoming wrestling body elections.

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