Delhi court frames sexual harassment charges against ex-Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan

Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court on Friday framed charges of sexual harassment against former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh in the case of five female wrestlers.

As per an official statement, the court found sufficient evidence against the BJP MP 'for offences under Section 354 (outraging modesty of woman) and 354A (sexual harassment) of the Indian Penal Code regarding victims no. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5'.

Additionally, with respect to 2 of the wrestlers, the court revealed that it found evidence on record to charge Singh for offences under Section 506 Part 1 (criminal intimidation) of IPC.

Singh, however, was discharged from allegation levelled by the sixth wrestler.

Former assistant secretary Vinod Tomar, who was the second accused in the case, was charged under Section 506 Part 1 of the IPC with respect to only one wrestler and stands discharged from all other offences, the court said.

Last month, the former Wrestling Federation chief had sought further probe into the case while also asking to make more submissions on framing of charges. Singh claimed that he was not in India on the date one of the alleged incidents took place.

His appeals were dismissed by the judge.

Singh has been accused of sexual harassment by female wrestlers, who allege that the incidents occurred between 2016 to 2019. The multiple instances reportedly took place at the WFI office in Delhi, Singh's official residence as well as outside the country.