Court Orders Framing of Sexual Harassment Charges Against Ex-WFI Chief Brij Bhushan Singh

New Delhi: The Rouse Avenue Court in Delhi on Friday directed the framing of sexual harassment charges against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the former president of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) and a BJP MP. The court’s decision came after examining the sexual harassment case filed by six female wrestlers against Singh.

After evaluating the evidence, the court found sufficient grounds to frame charges against Singh in five out of the six cases. The charges will be framed under Section 354 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), which pertains to assault or criminal force against a woman with the intent to outrage her modesty. However, the sixth case against Singh has been dismissed.

Initially scheduled for April 18, the court had deferred the pronouncement of the order after Singh filed an application seeking further investigation into reports of his presence at the WFI office on September 7, 2022. The application was subsequently dismissed on April 26, paving the way for the court’s order on May 7.

Last year, in June, the Delhi Police filed a chargesheet against Singh, acting on the sexual harassment allegations levelled against him by the female wrestlers. The chargesheet was presented before the Rouse Avenue Court and included charges under Sections 354 (assault or criminal force against a woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 354-A (sexual harassment), 354-D (stalking), and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC.