A court here has sought a response from a minor wrestler on the Delhi Police’s closure report filed in the alleged sexual harassment case filed by her father against outgoing Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
The court of Additional Sessions Judge Chhavi Kapoor has directed the complainant — the girl’s father — to explain as to why the closure report filed by the police should not be accepted. The next date of hearing is August 1.
In the closure report, police had cited the statements given by the minor to a magistrate under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. It has been reported that the victim had not supported the allegations made earlier in the FIR. Based on her statement to the magistrate, a case under POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) Act cannot be made out against Brij Bhushan, so the case should be closed, the Delhi Police had said in the cancellation report of over 500 pages submitted in court on June 15.
An FIR against Mr. Singh was lodged on April 28, in which the minor wrestler had alleged that she was “sexually harassed” by the accused.
However, last month, the complainant had recorded fresh statements in the matter and withdrew the charge of sexual harassment.
The father of the minor wrestler had told The Hindu that he deliberately filed “a false case against him due to anger”. He added that he was threatened by people whose names he couldn’t reveal and “his family is living in intense fear”.
Several Olympic and World Championships medal-winning wrestlers, including Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia and Sangeeta Phogat, had protested for months in New Delhi demanding the arrest of Mr. Singh for allegedly sexually harassing several women wrestlers, including a minor. The police only filed the FIRs against the accused BJP MP after the intervention of the Supreme Court last month.
Sensing a further delay in the investigation, the wrestlers threatened to immerse their medals in the river Ganga. Sports Minister Anurag Thakur had later met the wrestlers and assured them full support and protection during the investigation. The protest was suspended on this assurance.
Although the police has recommended that the case filed by the minor be closed, it has charged Mr. Singh with sexual harassment, stalking, and assault or force to outrage the modesty of a woman in the case of the other wrestlers.
