Delhi court on Monday accepted a closure report filed by Delhi Police seeking to cancel a sexual harassment case against former Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. The case was filed by a wrestler who was a minor at the time of the alleged incident. Additional Sessions Judge Gomti Manocha said, "Cancellation accepted."
During an in-chamber hearing on August 1, 2023, the minor told the court she was satisfied with the police investigation and did not oppose the case being closed.
Delhi Police had filed the closure report on June 15, 2023. The report followed a statement from the wrestler’s father who admitted he had made a false complaint of sexual harassment against Singh. He said the complaint was made to settle a personal dispute over what he saw as injustice to his daughter.
Police reportedly found no corroborative evidence to support the complaint under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act and recommended dropping the case.
The POCSO Act carries a minimum sentence of three years, depending on the sections applied.
Singh still faces separate charges of sexual harassment and stalking filed by six other women wrestlers. Singh, a former BJP Member of Parliament, has denied all allegations.
Following the court’s decision, Singh’s son and BJP MLA Prateek Bhushan Singh shared a post on social media platform X. “We have received judicial victory in a false and fabricated case. Every baseless allegation is now being exposed before the court. This is a victory of truth. It will continue in the future as well,” he wrote.
(With inputs from agencies)