Delhi court to decide on closure of POCSO case against Brij Bhushan on April 23

NEW DELHI: A Delhi court on Saturday deferred the pronouncement of order on whether to accept the Delhi Police’s cancellation report for a sexual harassment case lodged by a minor wrestler against former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) Chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh to April 23.

This is the second time the court has deferred the matter. Earlier, Additional Sessions Judge Chhavi Kapoor (ASJ) of Patiala House Courts had said that some clarifications were required in the case and had listed it for March 2.

The police's cancellation report was filed on June 15, 2023 which was not opposed by the complainant during the last hearing.

On August 1, 2023, the victim and her father expressed their satisfaction with the police investigation, raising no objection to the police's report in the case.

They had recorded their statement in an in-chamber proceeding before ASJ Kapoor.

On July 4 last year, the court sought the complainant's response to the police's cancellation report. The 550-page report filed by the police before the Patiala House Courts had said that no corroborative evidence was found in the allegations levelled by the minor wrestler.

"In the POCSO matter, after completion of the investigation, we have submitted a report under Section 173 of CrPC requesting for cancellation of the case based upon the statements of the complainant, i.e., the father of the victim and the victim herself," Delhi Police had said.

The FIR on the accusations levelled by the minor wrestler was filed under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, along with relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) concerning the act of outraging modesty.

However, the father of the minor wrestler had stepped forward later and claimed that he filed a "false" complaint of sexual harassment against Brij Bhushan.

The father alleged that his actions were driven by anger and frustration over the WFI Chief's perceived biased treatment towards his daughter.

A second statement of the minor under Section 164 of CrPC was recorded in the court on June 5 in which she did not allege sexual harassment by Brij Bhushan, as per sources.