Wrestlers move Delhi court seeking copy of charge sheet against WFI chief

The protesting female wrestlers on Monday moved a Delhi court seeking a copy of the charge sheet filed by the police against outgoing Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh on charges of sexual harassment.

The Delhi Police’s charge sheet running over 1,000 pages was filed before Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Mahima Rai of the Rouse Avenue Courts for offences under Sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 354A (making sexually coloured remarks), and 354D (stalking) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against accused Singh.

The charge sheet also mentions offences under Sections 109 (offer a bribe), 354, 354A, 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC against former WFI Assistant Secretary Vinod Tomar.

Reportedly, the charge sheet contains statements of around 200 witnesses.

Last week, the CMM transferred the alleged sexual harassment case to the court of Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) Harjeet Singh Jaspal, who deals with cases of MPs and MLAs, and is scheduled to take up the charge sheet for consideration on Tuesday.

Jaspal directed the complainants’ lawyer to apply for a certified copy at the court’s copying agency.

In the FIR registered at the Connaught Place police station in April, it has been alleged by six adult grapplers that Singh allegedly attempted to coerce one athlete into sexual acts by offering to provide her with “supplements”, invited another wrestler to his bed and hugged her, besides assaulting and inappropriately touching other athletes.