Delhi court dismisses EX-WFI chief’s plea
NEW DELHI: A Delhi court on Friday dismissed an application by BJP MP and former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, seeking further examination of evidence concerning his whereabouts on the date – Sept.7, 2022 -- of an alleged incident.
Singh is accused in a sexual harassment case in which several women wrestlers accused him of indulging in inappropriate behaviour.
Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Priyanka Rajpoot of Rouse Avenue Court dismissed Singh’s application. The judge also listed the mater concerning the framing of charges against Singh for May 7.
On April 18, the court deferred the hearing on framing of charges ater Singh’s application seeking further investigation in the case.
He had told the court that he was not in Delhi when one of the complainant wrestlers was allegedly sexually harassed.
The application had argued for a detailed investigation into Singh’s claims of being abroad when the incident purportedly took place.
The application had also demanded that the Delhi Police produce the Call Detail Record (CDR).
Additional Public Prosecutor Atul Srivastava, representing the Delhi Police, had opposed the application, arguing that the timing of the request was strategic and intended to prolong the case.
He had stressed the potential legal ramifications of reopening the investigation at this stage.
Meanwhile, the legal counsel for the complainants had criticised the application as a tactic to delay the proceedings.
They argued that the necessary documents should have been procured earlier under Section 207 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CRPC), which deals with the communication of evidence to the accused.
In February, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh had sought to be discharged in the case, citing delay in reporting the alleged offence and contradictions in the complainants’ statements.
Earlier, during the proceedings, the complainants and police said that there was ample evidence to proceed with the trial against the accused individuals.