Over a year after a chargesheet was filed against former BJP MP and former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh for the alleged sexual harassment of multiple female wrestlers, the trial in the case is set to begin on July 26.
The Court of Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Priyanka Rajpoot in Rouse Avenue issued summons to two police witnesses to commence the trial.
In May this year, the court had framed charges against Singh under IPC sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and 354A (sexual harassment).
After charges were framed, Singh pleaded not guilty. “Koi sawaal hi nahi hai. Galati kiye hi nahi to maanenge kyun (There is no question. When I did not make a mistake, why would I admit to it),” he had earlier said.
ACJM Rajpoot, while ordering the framing of charges, said this of Singh: “(His) continuing position in the WFI, coupled with the victims’ perception of a continuing threat, shows the acts of accused no. 1 (Singh) was not isolated but part of a broader pattern of behaviour whereby he exploited his position of power over an extended period. These alleged acts, committed in Delhi and outside Delhi/India, were executed under a ‘single criminal enterprise’ or ‘single impulse’ to sexually exploit and harass female wrestlers by abusing his dominant position.”
Observing that there was “unity of purpose” or “unity of thought” behind Singh’s actions, the ACJM had also earlier pointed to the hierarchy in the workforce — the accused was in power, and the women wrestlers were his subordinates.
In April, the Judge rejected Bhushan’s plea seeking further investigation into the case. Earlier, the court had deferred the framing of charges against Bhushan since his advocate Rajeev Mohan sought further investigation in the case, claiming in an application that he was not in Delhi when one of the six wrestlers was allegedly molested.
In June last year, Delhi Police had filed a chargesheet against Bhushan for alleged sexual harassment, assault and stalking of six women wrestlers. In its 1,500-page chargesheet, police had mentioned statements of at least 22 witnesses from across four states, including wrestlers, a referee, a coach and a physiotherapist, who corroborated the allegations made by the six women wrestlers against Singh.
Around 220 WFI staffers, wrestlers, referees and coaches, along with Singh and his associates, were among those examined in the case.
Police had also filed a 550-page report in the Patiala House Courts, requesting cancellation of the POCSO Act case against Singh after a wrestler, who was a minor at the time of the alleged incident, and her father, the complainant, withdrew their allegations against Singh in a fresh statement before a magistrate. This was after she gave two statements (before the police and a magistrate) against Bhushan.
In September last year, Additional Sessions Judge Chhavi Kapoor of Patiala House Court had reserved October 6 as the date for deciding on the POCSO cancellation report, but the decision is still awaited – this case will be heard later this month.
[ad_2]
Source link
