Brij Bhushan 'sexually harassed, molested wrestlers,' says Delhi Police chargesheet
The Delhi Police's chargesheet in the sexual harassment case against outgoing Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) President Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh said he was "liable to be prosecuted and punished for offenses" of harassment, molestation, and stalking. The chargesheet also said that the police spoke to 108 witnesses, of whom 15 corroborated the allegations leveled by the wrestlers, according to The Indian Express.
Why does this story matter?
The wrestlers held a five-month-long protest demanding action against Singh. They ended it in June after the Delhi Police filed the chargesheet. The central government, led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), drew flak for the delay in investigation and its handling of the protest. Notably, Singh is a BJP MP from Uttar Pradesh's Kaiserganj, and the party has been accused of protecting him.
Delhi Police urges court to summon Singh, witnesses
The Delhi Police has invoked Section 506 (criminal intimidation), Section 354 (outraging modesty of a woman), Section 354 A (sexual harassment), and Section 354 D (stalking) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) in the chargesheet. The police also flagged Singh's "repeated and continuing" harassment of a women wrestler. It has urged the court to summon Singh and the witnesses, including wrestlers, coaches, and referees.
Singh groped my breasts in hotel restaurant: Wrestler
According to the chargesheet, one of the wrestlers alleged Singh called her to his dinner table in a hotel restaurant, placed his hand on her breast, groped her, and then slid his hand down to her stomach repeatedly. "In the WFI office, he put his hand on my breast and slid it down my stomach on the pretext of checking my breathing," she alleged.
Another wrestler alleged Singh tried making forceful physical contact
Another wrestler alleged, "At the federation office, I was called into the room of the accused...my brother was asked to stay back. The accused (Singh) closed the door, pulled me towards himself, and tried making forceful physical contact." Similar allegations were made by a third woman wrestler, who said Singh tried to hug her forcefully without her permission and later tried to bribe her.
Singh threatened wrestler when she refused to cooperate
The other wrestlers also made serious allegations of sexual harassment against Singh. One of them alleged that Singh threatened to fire her when she refused to cooperate. "Zyada smart bann rahi hai kya...aage koi competition nahi khelne kya tune? (Acting too smart? You don't want to be considered for tournaments in the future?)," she allegedly recalled Singh telling her.
Delhi Police put collaborative accounts of witnesses in chargesheet
According to reports, the police have also added detailed witness accounts from coaches, referees, other officials, and family members of the wrestlers. The accounts were presented to corroborate the version of the complainants and make a watertight case against Singh. Notably, the Delhi Police's Special Investigation Team visited Rohtak, Sonipat, Lucknow, Patiala, Kurukshetra, Hissar, Bhiwani, Chandigarh, and Bellary in Karnataka.
Never met wrestlers, don't have their phone numbers: Singh
The chargesheet reportedly includes multiple annexures, one of which states that Singh refuted all allegations during his questioning by the Delhi Police and said he had never met the wrestlers and did not have their phone numbers, per TIE. The chargesheet includes witness statements and testimonies of the wrestlers alleging 15 instances of sexual harassment, including 10 instances of inappropriate touching, and multiple intimidations.
