Wrestlers' Protest: Delhi Police Seeks Cancellation Of POCSO Case Against WFI Chief Brij Bhushan Singh

New Delhi: In a big reprieve for the Wrestling Federation Of India (WFI) chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the Delhi Police on Thursday filed a 500-page chargesheet seeking the cancellation of the Protection Of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) case filed against him. While recommending the cancellation of the POCSO case before the Patiala House Court, the Delhi Police said, "No corroborative evidence has been found" against WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh to “indicate the commission of an offence under the section of POCSO".

A Cancellation Report was filed in the minor’s case in Delhi's Patiala House Court. A Cancellation Report is filed in cases when no "corroborative evidence" is found. "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," the Delhi Police said in a statement.

"In the FIR registered by the wrestlers, after completion of the investigation, we are filing a chargesheet for the offences under sections 354, 354A, 354D IPC against accused Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and for offences under sections109/ 354/354A/506 IPC against accused Vinod Tomar before the concerned Hon'ble Court," the statement said. 

 

 

On June 7, Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur met Olympic medallists Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik and assured the agitating wrestlers that the charge sheet in the case would be filed by June 15, following which they suspended their stir. "Since the minister has assured the wrestlers that the charge sheet in the case will be filed by June 15 (Thursday), we will abide by it," said a senior police official.

As part of the probe, the Delhi Police has also written to wrestling federations of five nations seeking details in connection with the alleged incidents of sexual harassment by Singh, but their reply is awaited. Once these are received, a supplementary charge sheet would be filed in the case, officials said. The notices were sent seeking photos and video of the tournaments and the CCTV footage of the places where the wrestlers stayed during their matches, they said.

The Special Investigation Team questioned more than 180 people and also went to BJP MP Brij Bhushan Singh's residence in Gonda where it recorded statements of the outgoing WFI chief's relatives, colleagues, house staff and his associates.

The investigators also took a woman wrestler to the official residence of Singh in New Delhi to recreate the sequence of events that led to the alleged crime. The wrestlers have threatened to resume their protest if a charge sheet is not filed by the specified period.

After his meeting on June 7, Thakur addressed a press conference and said the wrestlers had suggested that the charge sheet in the case be filed by June 15 and the WFI elections be held by June 30. The wrestlers had also suggested that an Internal Complaints Committee of WFI headed by a woman be formed. All these proposals were agreed to unanimously by the Sports Minister.

Following the assurance, the grapplers suspended their agitation till June 15. The protesting wrestlers have been demanding the arrest of Singh, who they have accused of sexually exploiting women wrestlers, including a minor. In another key decision, the government also agreed not to allow Brij Bhushan Singh, who has completed three terms as president, and his associates to contest elections as per the wrestlers' demand.