Delhi court acquits Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh in sexual harassment case filed by women wrestlers

A Delhi court on Monday acquitted former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of Parliament (MP) Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh in the case related to sexual harassment of women wrestlers.

Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM) Ashwini Panwar of the Rouse Avenue Courts passed the order.

Co-accused Vinod Tomar has also been acquitted in the case.

As the media was not allowed in the court, Singh's lawyers said that it was an "honourable acquittal".

The case pertains to sexual harassment allegations raised by six women wrestlers against Singh. Based on their complaints, the police had registered a first information report (FIR) against the MP.

On June 15, 2023, the police filed a chargesheet against Singh for offences under Sections 354 (outraging modesty), 354A (sexually coloured remarks), 354D (stalking) and 506(1) (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The trial court had, on May 10, 2024, framed charges of sexual harassment and outraging modesty of women against Singh for harassing five women wrestlers.

It was held that there was sufficient material on record to frame charges against Singh for the offences punishable under Sections 354 and 354A of the IPC.

The Court also said that there was sufficient material to frame charges against Singh for the offence punishable under Section 506(1) (criminal intimidation) of the IPC with respect to two wrestlers.

The Court also charged co-accused Vinod Tomar, who is the former Assistant Secretary of the WFI, with the offence of criminal intimidation for threatening one of the victims.

A minor wrestler had also levelled allegations against Singh. However, she later withdrew her complaint and the Delhi Police filed a cancellation report in that case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO Act). The case was subsequently closed.

Advocates Rajiv Mohan, Rishabh Bhati, Rehan Khan and Suryansh Singh appeared for Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.