New Delhi: Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, wrestling Federation of India (WFI) President and BJP MP, who is facing charges of sexual harassment, is liable to be prosecuted and punished for offences of stalking and molestation, the Delhi Police chargesheet said based on the investigation so far.
The Delhi Police in its chargesheet against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh accused him of multiple instances of sexual harassment, molestation, and stalking by several complainants.
One complainant specifically mentioned six locations where she experienced molestation by Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the chargesheet filed last month said.
A total of 21 witnesses have come forward to provide their statements against Singh. Six witnesses have given their statements under the Code of Criminal Procedure (CRPC) 164, which is a provision allowing statements to be recorded before a judicial magistrate.
In two of the six cases, the wrestling body chief, who is also a Bharatiya Janata Party lawmaker from Uttar Pradesh, faced sections 354, 354A and 354D, while sections 354 and 354A in the remaining four cases. If convicted, these charges could lead to a potential prison sentence of up to five years.
Following the reports detailing Delhi Police chargesheet against the WFI Chief, Congress took a swipe at Modi govt in New Delhi, saying it was a litmus test for the government and asked if Prime Minister Narendra Modi will act against his party MP.
"Delhi Police verifies the charges of India's six top wrestlers - India's daughters - on…'outraging the modesty', 'sexual harassment', 'stalking', 'criminal intimidation'", Congress General secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala said in a tweet.
"The "litmus test" of Modi government, will PM Modi act against Brij Bhushan (Sharan Singh), will (BJP president JP) Naddaji expel him from BJP now? Will Brij Bhushan (Sharan Singh) be arrested now? Will BJP government stop protecting him?" Surjewala asked.
Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra too questioned why the BJP-led central government is silent over the issue.
"Law and ethics say that one who is accused of atrocities against women should be removed from his post, fair investigation should be carried, arrest should be made and he should be punished in the court of law", Priyanka Gandhi wrote on Twitter. "But in the BJP government, why is the accused of harassing the women players, who have brought laurels to the country, protected? Why is the matter being suppressed, why is the matter being hushed up in the investigation? Why is the whole government silent on this matter? Why is the accused still in BJP and why no action has been taken?" the Congress leader asked.
"Law and ethics say that one who is accused of atrocities against women should be removed from his post, fair investigation should be carried, arrest should be made and he should be punished in the court of law", Priyanka Gandhi wrote on Twitter.
"But in the BJP government, why is the accused of harassing the women players, who have brought laurels to the country, protected? Why is the matter being suppressed, why is the matter being hushed up in the investigation? Why is the whole government silent on this matter? Why is the accused still in BJP and why no action has been taken?" the Congress leader asked.
Meanwhile, addressing a press conference at the party headquarters here, Congress Social Media and Digital Platform Chairperson, Supriya Shrinate said:
"Delhi Police in its charge sheet has accused BJP MP Singh of sexual harassment, stalking and intimidation."
She said that the police have asked the court to take action to prosecute and punish Singh.
Targeting the government, she said:
"Ironically, women wrestlers had also made allegations of sexual harassment against Singh in front of the committee constituted in January 2023, but the committee ignored the allegations. Not only this, even in the report submitted to the Sports Ministry, the committee remained silent on the allegations against Singh."
She further said that when the wrestlers were humiliated, they went to the banks of river Ganges in Haridwar to submerge their medals but even then the government did not make any appeal to them.
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