NEW DELHI: The arguments on the point of charge against former Wrestling Federation of India chief and BJP MP Brijbhushan Singh in the female Wrestlers' sexual harassment case concluded at the city's Rouse Avenue Court on Tuesday.
Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) Priyanka Rajpoot heard extensive arguments by the complainant wrestlers, the Delhi Police, and the accused, also including suspended WFI assistant secretary Vinod Tomar while listing the matter for March 15 for further clarification, if any.
The allegations by the female grapplers against accused persons pertain to various incidents of sexual harassment, spread over a period of about ten years, at various places, in and outside of India.
The wrestlers and the cops told the court that there was sufficient evidence against the accused persons to put them on trial.
On the other hand, Singh's lawyer argued that the offences alleged to have been committed outside India and outside the local jurisdiction of Delhi 'cannot be tried' by the city court.
The police report does not furnish any sufficient explanation for the said delay, it was submitted by the accused's lawyer.
The APP also argued that in order to attract the section on sexual harassment, intention is not required and merely knowledge is sufficient.
It was submitted by Additional Public Prosecutor (APP) Atul Srivastava, representing the Police, that the accused Brij Bhushan's statement which contended that he was acting in a fatherly manner while checking the breathing patterns of female wrestlers pointing out that he was aware of his act.
The sexual harassment case against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, a six-time MP, was moved by a group of woman wrestlers followed by massive protests backed by the country's top wrestlers including Olympic medallists like Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat, and Bajrang Punia.
The city police had filed a charge sheet in the case against Singh, a six-time MP, on June 15, 2023 under sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 354-A (sexual harassment), 354-D (stalking) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code.
Singh had argued "material contradictions" in prosecution witnesses, saying it can take the case away from "grave suspicion" to only "mere suspicion."
