Delhi Court Frames Charges Against BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh in Sexual Harassment Case

The Rouse Avenue Court in Delhi on Friday, May 10, framed charges of sexual harassment, stalking, outraging the modesty of women and criminal intimidation against former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Priyanka Rajpoot of the Rouse Avenue Court passed the order. According to the Bar & Bench, the Court charged Singh, former chief of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), for offences under Sections 354A (sexual harassment), 354 (outraging modesty) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

However, Singh was today discharged with respect to the allegations made by a sixth wrestler. Charges were also framed against co-accused Vinod Tomar for the offence of criminal intimidation under Section 506 of IPC. Tomar is the former assistant secretary of the WFI.

On April 26, the same court dismissed an application moved by Bhushan seeking further investigation into the case, claiming he was not in the country when the alleged sexual harassment took place on September 7, 2022. Singh claimed that he was not in Delhi on the said date but was in Serbia. Singh had also placed on record the Call Detail Record of coach Vijender in relation to an alleged incident in the WFI office in New Delhi.

On June 15, 2023, the police filed a chargesheet against Singh for offences under Sections 354 (outraging modesty), 354A (sexually coloured remarks), 354D (stalking) and 506(1) (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The complainants had earlier moved the Supreme Court for the registration of an FIR against Singh. Subsequently, the Delhi Police informed the Supreme Court that an FIR was registered and that the investigation was on track.