A minor wrestler who accused outgoing chief of Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh of sexual harassment told a court here on Tuesday that she was satisfied with the investigation conducted by the Delhi Police in the case.
The minor did not oppose the police report that said a case was not made out under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO), public prosecutor Arul Srivastava told The Hindu.
“The submissions by the minor wrestler and her father were made before Additional Sessions Judge Chhavi Kapoor. The court has recorded their statements and the final order on whether the court agrees with the report will be pronounced on September 6,” Mr. Srivastava said.
In the report, the police cited the statements given by the victim under Section 164 of the Cr.PC. and said the victim had not supported the allegations made earlier in the first information report (FIR).
Based on the statements of the victim, a case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) cannot be made out against Mr. Singh and so the case should be closed, the police had said in a report of more than 500 pages which was submitted in this court on June 15.
The court on July 4 issued notice to the minor seeking response to the report in the sexual harassment case filed against Mr. Singh by her father.
The FIR against Mr. Singh under the POCSO Act was lodged on April 28. However, in July, the complainant recorded fresh statements in the matter and denied the charges of sexual harassment. Sources said the police report was based on the “change of statement” by the minor.
Speaking to The Hindu, the father of the minor wrestler had said that he deliberately filed “a false case against him due to anger”. He added that he was threatened by people whose names he couldn’t reveal and “his family is living in intense fear”.
Several Olympic and World Championships medal-winning wrestlers, including Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia and Sangeeta Phogat, had staged protests for months in New Delhi demanding the arrest of Mr. Singh for allegedly sexually harassing several women grapplers, including the minor. The Delhi Police filed an FIR against the accused only after the intervention of the Supreme Court in April.
