In a significant development, the Delhi Police have filed a comprehensive 1,082-page charge sheet against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lawmaker, and his aide Vinod Tomar. The charges include assault, making sexually coloured remarks, and stalking. Deputy Police Commissioner Pranav Tayal stated that Singh has been charged under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), namely Sections 354, 354A, and 354D, while Tomar has been indicted under sections 109, 354, 354A, and 506 of the IPC. The police clarified that the arrest of the accused is not mandatory since the maximum punishment for the charges they face is five years.
Although evidence has been found against the accused, the investigation is ongoing. The police are awaiting details from overseas wrestling federations and forensic reports on digital evidence, which may be included in a supplementary charge sheet. The investigators emphasize that the charge sheet is not a final report but a crucial step in the legal process. In a separate case filed under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, the Delhi Police informed the court that no corroborative evidence was found against Singh. A cancellation report was filed since no evidence supported the allegations made against him. The court is scheduled to hear the matter on July 4.
It is important to note that one of the complainants, a minor wrestler, and her father, who initially filed the complaint under the POCSO Act, withdrew their allegations and provided fresh statements to the magistrate. Regarding the protests by wrestlers demanding action against Singh, the Union Minister Anurag Thakur assured Olympic medallists Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik that the charge sheet would be filed by June 15. In cases of sexual harassment, the burden of proof lies with the investigating agencies. Initially, the police did not file a First Information Report (FIR) until directed by the Supreme Court. Recently, the Delhi Police visited the WFI office with one of the complainants to recreate the sequence of events. However, the visit caused distress to the complainant, who experienced mental trauma.
The protesting wrestlers, who had camped at Jantar Mantar for 38 days demanding Singh’s arrest, were forcibly removed by the police on May 28. They had attempted to march to the new Parliament building during its inauguration but were prevented and detained. As the legal process continues, the filing of the charge sheet marks a significant step in the case against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and his aide Vinod Tomar. The supplementary charge sheet and forensic reports are expected to provide additional evidence, contributing to a more comprehensive investigation.