The Delhi police on Thursday filed a chargesheet against outgoing Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and a cancellation report in the matter related to allegations against him of sexual harassment of a minor.
Recommending quashing the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) case against Singh, the police in their statement said: “In the POCSO matter, after completion of the investigation, we have submitted a police report under section 173 Cr PC requesting for a cancellation of the case based upon statements of the complainant i.e., the father of the victim and the victim herself”.
However, the Delhi police filed a chargsheet against Singh and suspended assistant secretary of the federation, Vinod Tomar, under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
“In the FIR registered by the wrestlers, after completion of investigation, we are filing a chargesheet for the offences under sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 354A (sexual harassment and punishment for sexual harassment), 354D (stalking) IPC against accused Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and for offences under sections 109 (punishment of abetment, if the act abetted, is committed in consequence and when no express provision is made for its punishment)/ 354/354A/506 (punishment of criminal intimidation) IPC against accused Vinod Tomar”, the Delhi police statement read.
The hearing on the cancellation report has been posted for 4 July, while the hearing on the chargesheet will be on 22 June.
A cancellation report is submitted when no supporting evidence is found.
The chargesheet was filed by the Delhi police days after federal Sports Minister Anurag Thakur met grapplers Bajrang Punia and Sakshee Malikkh last week and assured them that the chargesheet in the case would be filed by 15 June.
After assurance from the minister, the wrestlers temporarily called off their protest against Singh.
Meanwhile, the Delhi police have urged the wrestling federations of five countries to provide photos, videos, and CCTV footage of the tournaments and places where the wrestlers stayed during their matches as part of its investigation.
The special investigation team (SIT) has also questioned around 200 people and filed two first information reports (FIRs) against Singh.
Top Indian wrestlers, including Olympic medallist Bajrang Punia, Sakshee Malikkh and Asian Games medallist Vinesh Phogat, have accused Singh of sexually harassing female wrestlers, including a minor.