NEW DELHI: Delhi Police is preparing to file a chargesheet/status report before a city court on Wednesday in the alleged sexual assault case filed against former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, by seven female wrestlers.
The protesting wrestlers had set a deadline of June 15 for Delhi Police to file the chargesheet. Depending on today’s developments, the wrestlers will determine their future course of action, deciding whether to continue their protest or not.
Sources indicate that the chargesheet will be submitted under Section 173 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), which pertains to the report of a police officer upon completion of an investigation. It is expected that the chargesheet against Brij Bhushan will include sections 354(a), 354(c), 354(d) read with 34 (common intention), and will be filed in Rouse Avenue Court by the afternoon.
The chargesheet will be presented by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed by the Delhi Police to investigate the allegations.
It will contain evidence gathered during the investigation, including photographs provided by the wrestlers who claimed to have been assaulted. It will include a total of 208 statements, including CRPC 164 statements.
Additionally, sources reveal that the victims have submitted photographs of events attended by them and Brijbhushan. Although these photographs depict the victims and the accused together, they do not establish the act of sexual harassment, according to a police source. Whether these photographs will be admissible as evidence during the trial stage will be determined by the court. The investigating officers will leave it to the court to decide whether the evidence is prosecutable or not.
The victims have provided specific details regarding the time and place of the incidents, prompting the police to contact the state and overseas wrestling federations for further information. On March 28, Delhi Police registered two First Information Reports (FIRs) against Singh: one based on the complaint of six female wrestlers and another based on the complaint of a minor female wrestler. The FIR related to the minor’s complaint was filed under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
During the inquiry, the minor victim recorded her second statement before the magistrate.
The wrestlers’ protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi, which lasted over a month, was led by Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat, and Bajrang Punia. They decided to suspend their protest following a meeting with Union sports minister Anurag Thakur on June 7. This meeting followed discussions the wrestlers had with Union Home Minister Amit Shah regarding their demands.
After a six-hour-long meeting with Thakur, Sakshi Malik, the first female wrestler to win an Olympic medal, stated, “Although the Centre had requested time until June 15 for the completion of investigations, the wrestlers’ protest is not yet over.”
The wrestlers initiated their protest against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and the WFI on April 23 at Jantar Mantar, demanding the arrest of the WFI president while accusing him of sexual harassment and misconduct.
On April 28, the Delhi Police registered two FIRs against Singh, including allegations of demanding “sexual favors” in exchange for professional assistance, incidents of sexual harassment involving inappropriate touching and molestation, as well as instances of intimidation and stalking.