Wrestlers move court seeking chargesheet copy filed against ex-WFI chief

NEW DELHI: The complainant wrestlers, on whose complaint Delhi Police had filed a chargesheet against former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, on Monday moved Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court seeking a certified copy of the same.

The chargesheet was filed under IPC sections 354, 354D, 345A, and 506 (1) over allegations of sexual harassment charges against Brij Bhushan and one other person.

The Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate on Monday noted that the cognizance of the chargesheet has not been taken yet, asking the lawyer to fill the form to apply for a certified copy of the said chargesheet.

Earlier, on the last date, the court had fixed June 27 for consideration on the chargesheet. In connection with the wrestlers' protest and their allegations of sexual harassment, two FIRs were registered against Brij Bhushan.

One was registered under POCSO Act in Patiala House Court on the basis of one Minor wrestler complaint while the second was filed on the complaint of several wrestlers in Rouse Avenue Court in MP/MLA court.

The Delhi Police filed its final report on both FIRs in respective courts. In Patiala House Court, Delhi Police filed Cancellation Report citing a lack of evidence on the POCSO matter. Delhi Police on June 15, 2023, filed a report recommending the cancellation of the POCSO case against Brij Bhushan.

Delhi Police recommended the cancellation of the POCSO case after the minor wrestler, who had accused the WFI chief of sexual harassment, withdrew her statement. There was no collaborative evidence in the case, Delhi Police said.

"We are filing a chargesheet for the offences under sections 354, 354A , 354D IPC against accused Brijbhushan Sharan Singh and for offences under sections 109/ 354/354A/506 IPC against accused Vinod Tomar before the Rouse Avenue Court," said Suman Nalwa, PRO, Delhi Police, had said earlier.

"In the POCSO matter, after completion of 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," he added.

After holding a meeting with a delegation of the protesting wrestlers recently, Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur assured that the chargesheet on the FIRs against the WFI chief will be filed by June 15.

Thakur informed further that an Internal Complaint Committee of the wrestling federation will be constituted and it will be headed by a woman