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Delhi Court Frames Charges Against Brij Bhushan In Harassment Case

In a big blow to former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, a Delhi court has ordered the Framing of charges against the former Wrestling Federation of India chief in the sexual harassment charges levelled by women wrestlers. Let me explain what framing charges mean.

Framing of the charge itself is a prima facie order that the trial judge has formed the opinion, upon consideration of the police report and other documents and after hearing both sides, that there is ground for presuming that the accused has committed the offence concerned. The court has said there is sufficient evidence to do so. 

The court said that its framing charges against Brij Bhushan in five of the six cases. While charges will be framed under sections 354 and 354D of the Indian Penal Code (assault of criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) in five cases, while the sixth case against him has been dismissed.

The court was scheduled to pronounce the order on Framing charges on April 18, but it was deferred after Brij Bhushan moved an application seeking further investigation into reports of his presence at the WFI office on September 7, 2022.

The application was dismissed on April 26, and the court decided to pronounce its order on May 7.

After a long case that saw wrestlers protesting against Brij Bhushan twice in 2023, the Delhi Police filed a chargesheet against him on June 15. The chargesheet lists sections 354, 354 (A), and 354 (D) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Despite these serious accusations, Brij Bhushan didn’t receive a BJP ticket for his Kaiserganj constituency; instead, it was given to his son, Karan Bhushan Singh.

The chargesheet, based on complaints from six wrestlers, accuses Brij Bhushan of sexual harassment, molestation, and stalking. Witnesses mentioned seeing inappropriate behaviour from the then President of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), describing it as a “physically wrong gesture.”

This is a glimmer of hope for the wrestlers who bravely protested in Delhi. It’s a small spark of optimism amidst the harassment they have gone through.

 

 

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