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What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
Each bail was set at Rs 25,000, and the court imposed strict conditions on the accused.
NEW DELHI: A Delhi court has granted bail to Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the outgoing chief of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), and Vinod Tomar, the suspended assistant secretary of WFI, in connection with a sexual harassment case filed by six female wrestlers.
The Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) Harjeet Singh Jaspal presided over the hearing and approved the bail applications. Each bail was set at Rs 25,000, and the court imposed strict conditions on the accused.
The case had drawn considerable attention, with allegations of sexual harassment made against both Singh and Tomar by the female wrestlers. The court’s decision to grant bail has come as a relief to the accused and their legal teams.
The court directed both accused not to leave the country without permission and not to influence victims or witnesses. The next hearing is scheduled for July 28.
Earlier, Singh and Tomar were granted interim bail on Tuesday, and they appeared for arguments on regular bail on Thursday. During the proceedings, defense counsel Rajiv Mohan requested more time to read the chargesheet, which the court allowed.
Lawyers representing the victim wrestlers expressed concerns about Brijbhushan’s influence as a prominent politician, but the defense counsel assured the court that his client would not tamper with any evidence and would abide by any conditions set by the court.
The court noted that if the police never arrested the accused, they may be eligible for bail, citing previous Supreme Court judgments. The public prosecutor from Delhi Police, Atul Srivastava, stated that they would not oppose the bail, leaving the decision to the court as per the law.
Six women wrestlers had filed the complaint against Singh and Tomar on April 21, and with the intervention of the Supreme Court of India, an FIR was filed at Connaught Place police station. The FIR included charges under Sections 354, 354A, 354D, and 34 of the Indian Penal Code.
The women wrestlers expressed doubts about the government-formed oversight panel investigating the allegations, claiming bias in favor of Singh, who is a BJP MP. Despite the chargesheet filed on June 15, Brijbhushan Sharan Singh refused to step down from his position as the chief of WFI. The charges against him include sexual harassment, criminal intimidation, and stalking. The panel’s report has not been made public yet.
