Delhi court rejects Brij Bhushan’s plea seeking further probe into sexual harassment case

A Delhi court rejected the application filed by Brij Bhushan Singh seeking further probe into a sexual harassment case filed against him by women wrestlers.

A Delhi court on Friday rejected the application filed by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP former Wrestling Federation of India president Brij Bhushan Singh seeking further probe into a sexual harassment case filed against him by women wrestlers.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Priyanka Rajpoot of the Rouse Avenue Court also fixed May 7 as the date to pronounce the order on framing of charges against Mr. Singh and co-accused Virendra Tomar who were booked by the police for offences such as outraging modesty, making sexually coloured remarks, stalking and criminal intimidation.

In his application seeking a further probe in the matter, Mr. Bhushan maintained that he was not in India on the date of one of the incidents cited in the FIR by the complainant.

The Delhi Police had opposed the plea stating that it was filed late.

“This application will have legal implications which have to be argued,” said Assistant Public Prosecutor Atul Srivastava, representing the Delhi Police.

The counsel appearing for the women wrestlers termed the plea filed by Mr. Singh as tactics to delay the trial.

Many wrestlers, including Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia and Sangeeta Phogat, had protested for months in New Delhi last year, demanding the arrest of Mr. Singh for allegedly sexually harassing several women grapplers, including a minor.