Delhi police file chargesheet in Brij Bhushan's case; recommend cancellation of FIR in minor's case

The court will consider final report on the minor's case on July 4.

Delhi Police on Thursday filed a chargesheet against Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Singh invoking charges of sexual harassment and stalking following investigations into complaints by six wrestlers but recommended cancelling a case registered under stringent POCSO based on allegations by a minor sportsperson claiming “no corroborative evidence”.

The filing of a chargesheet against Singh, a BJP MP who had denied the allegations and was hoping to weather the storm, came on the deadline the government agreed with protesting wrestlers, who had warned that they would resume their agitation if the agreement was violated.

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Delhi Police had on April 28 filed two FIRs against Singh, one based on complaints by six known wrestlers and the other on a complaint by the father of a minor wrestler. However, the minor and father are learnt to have later retracted the allegations made in the complaint before a magistrate.

According to Delhi Police, it filed the chargesheet against Singh on the FIR based on the complaints of six wrestlers under Sections 354 (outraging the modesty of women), 354A (sexual harassment) and 354D (stalking) under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against Singh.

It also named Vinod Tomar, a WFI office bearer and considered close to Singh, in the chargesheet and invoked Sections 354, 354A, 506 (criminal intimidation) and 109 (abetment).

Police also said, "in the POCSO matter, after completion of the investigation, we have submitted a police report under section 173 CrPC requesting for a cancellation of the case based upon statements of the complainant i.e., the father of the victim and the victim herself." The court has set July 4 to take up the final report on the case under POCSO.

The police action plan immediately attracted criticism with senior Congress General Secretary Randeep Surjewala tweeting, "BJP's slogan is 'Beti Darao, Brij Bhushan Bachao' (Scare the daughter, Save Brij Bhushan). The dictator has devised a strategy to save those accused of misbehaving with their daughters. Daughters and families courageously raised their voice for justice against the culprit who was shamelessly supported. But the hideous crime is being covered up. The dictator should understand justice will be done in the court of the people."

Wrestlers had held protests in two rounds this year -- in January and for 45 days since the third week of May -- demanding action against Singh. They were also detained and not allowed to return to the protest site in Jantar Mantar after they attempted to march to Parliament, the day the new building was inaugurated, to hold a women's panchayat in protest.

The protesting wrestlers had attracted support from several Opposition parties, students, youth and women groups and farmers, especially those belonging to the Jat community.

The protesters were promised action after a meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah earlier this month, which was followed by a detailed meeting with Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur where the nitty-gritty of the action plan was finalised.

However in a setback for the wrestlers, the minor and her father reportedly went back on the statement with the letter claiming that he filed the complaint in anger as he felt his daughter was discriminated against.