Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, a BJP MP and the departing head of the WFI was listed as “liable to be prosecuted and punished for offences” in the charge sheet that the Delhi Police submitted to the court on June 13.
According to a chargesheet filed by the Delhi Police, Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh was subject to prosecution and punishment for sexual harassment, molestation, and stalking offences. Following an investigation into accusations made by six wrestlers, the charge sheet was presented to the court.
In one instance, Singh engaged in “repeated and continuing” harassment, for which Sections 506 (criminal intimidation), 354 (outraging a woman’s modesty), 354 A (sexual harassment), and 354 D (stalking) were cited.
Singh has been charged under Sections 354, 354A, and 354D in two cases, six total cases have been filed against Brij Bhushan, the other four cases are under Sections 354 and 354A, which each carry a maximum five-year prison sentence.
Singh and the witnesses are expected to appear in court, according to the charge sheet submitted on June 13. The chargesheet states that the accused may be ordered to appear in court and that witnesses listed on the list of witnesses attached to the chargesheet may be called to testify and have the documents listed next to their names examined.
According to the charging sheet, there were 108 witnesses in the investigation, and 15 of them corroborated the statements made by the wrestlers. Singh asserted that he had never met the wrestlers in question, had no access to their phone numbers, and denied all charges throughout his interrogation.
The wrestlers claim that there were 15 instances of sexual harassment, including unwanted groping, intimidation, and stalking. The charge sheet continues with specific accusations against wrestlers and witness testimony that corroborates them. Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh allegedly touched the breasts of three wrestlers and slipped his hand down their shirts to feel for breathing.
One account described Brij Bhushan giving a forced hug and offering assistance in exchange for sexual favours. Another person described an incident in which Brij Bhushan allegedly stood too close and stated, “Zyada smart bann rahi hai kya”…Competition aage koi nahi khelne kya tune? Acting too clever? You don’t want to be taken into account for future competitions?)
Numerous locations across the nation, including Sonipat, Rohtak, Lucknow, Kurukshetra, Patiala, Bhiwani, Hissar, Chandigarh, and Bellary, were the sites of the investigations.
Incidents that followed the chargesheet
The Rouse Avenue court in Delhi summoned Singh in the case on Friday, noting that there was sufficient evidence to move on with the case against him. He has been told to show up in court on July 18.
A complaint was initially made against Singh’s alleged misbehaviour by seven wrestlers, one of whom was a kid. Days later, the young complainant withdrew her statement before a district magistrate.
The incidents occurred after the wrestlers Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik, and Bajrang Punia organised a sit-in protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar calling for Singh’s arrest. The police detained them for disrupting law and order by seeking to schedule a meeting in front of the new parliament on its opening day on May 28.
 The protest, which started on April 23, continued until that point. After meeting with union minister Anurag Thakur, who assured them that the charge sheet in the matter would be submitted by June 15, they ultimately decided to call off their protest.
