EW DELHI: The Delhi Police on Thursday filed a 1,082-page chargesheet in the sexual harassment case against sidelined Wrestling Federation of India president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh at a local court. By doing so, they met the deadline set by top protesting wrestlers to prosecute Singh.
However, the police also filed a cancellation report in the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) case that was lodged on the complaint of a 17-year-old wrestler against Singh.
“We have submitted a police report under Section 173 of the CrPC requesting cancellation of the POCSO case based upon statements of the complainant the father of the victim and the victim herself,” Delhi Police spokesperson Suman Nalwa said.
As for the chargesheet, she said it was filed under sections 354 (criminal force to outrage woman’s modesty), 354 A (sexual harassment) and 354 D (stalking) of the Indian Penal Code. Vinod Tomar, a close aide of Singh, was charged under Section 109 (abetment), 354 (outraging modesty), 354 A (sexual harassment) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC.
The Congress came down heavily on the Centre after the police sought to withdraw POCSO charges. Half of the chargesheet focuses on how it is not a POCSO matter to give Singh a clean chit in the minor’s case, it alleged. In a related development, the police are expected to take back cases against wrestlers who created a ruckus near Jantar Mantar on the day the new Parliament building was inaugurated.
READ MORE: 'Black day' for Indian sports: Congress after chargesheet against outgoing WFI chief Brij Bhushan