Charge sheet filed against WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh in sexual harassment case

 NEW DELHI: The Delhi Police on Thursday filed in court its charge sheet running over 1,000 pages in the alleged sexual harassment case against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.

Police have filed the charge sheet before Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Mahima Rai of Rouse Avenue Court for the offences under Sections 354 (assault or criminal force on a woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 354A (making sexually coloured remarks), and 354D (stalking) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against accused Brij Bhushan.

And for offences under Sections 109 (offer a bribe), 354, 354A, and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC against accused former WFI assistant secretary Vinod Tomar,

Sources said that the charge sheet contains the statements of around 200 witnesses.

The court has posted the matter for hearing next on June 22.

In the FIR registered at Connaught Place police station, it has been alleged by the six adult grapplers that Singh allegedly attempted to coerce one athlete into sexual acts by offering to provide her with "supplements", inviting another wrestler to his bed and hugging her, as well as assaulting and inappropriately touching other athletes.

Singh first sexually assaulted me. While I was training, the accused called me separately, to which I refused since the accused (Singh) was touching other girls also inappropriately," said one of the grapplers in the FIR.

"However, I was again called by the accused, who then pulled up my T-shirt, slid his hand down my stomach, and put his hand on my navel on the pretext of checking my breath," she said.

Another wrestler, 2, stated in the FIR that she was stretching or warming up on the ground on a mat when Singh came there and leaned in on her in the absence of her coach.

"Without seeking my permission, he pulled up my t-shirt, placed his hand on my breast, slid it down my stomach on the pretext of examining or checking my breathing, and touched me inappropriately," said wrestler 2.

"When we were protesting at Jantar Mantar, Singh, through his goons, tried to contact me, and threats were given," she added.

The third grappler in the FIR said she was standing in the last row during the photo shoots of all wrestlers and waiting for the other wrestlers to take their positions when Singh kept his hands on her buttock.

"Singh, on the pretext of getting a picture clicked with me, forcefully, against my will, pulled me towards him by my shoulder tightly and forced me to get a picture clicked. I resisted and tried to push him away from me, to which he replied by saying, 'Zyada smart bann rhi hai kya." "Aage koi competition nhi khelne kya tune'," said the fourth grappler in the FIR.

The fifth wrestler in the FIR alleged that Vinod Tomar, the secretary of WFI, told her that Singh had called her to his room.

"I thought, since I had won the championship, Singh wanted to congratulate me. I went to the room where I met Singh. He called me towards his bed where he was sitting, and then all of a sudden, he hugged me forcefully without my permission. Due to the physical advances made by the accused towards me without my consent," she said in the FIR.

"He, in order to further fulfil his sexual intentions, also tried to bribe me by offering to buy me supplements that I may require as an athlete in exchange for sexual favours.

"In 2016, in Mongolia, the WFI chief, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, called me to his dinner table, where he was sitting separately, and to my utter shock and surprise, he placed his hand on my breast, groped me, and then slid his hand down to my stomach. To my disbelief, the accused did not stop there and again moved his hand upwards to my breast... repeatedly 3–4 times," she added. (IANS)

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