Wrestlers’ Sexual Harassment: Delhi Court Grants 2 Days Interim Relief to Ex-WFI Chief Brij Bhushan Singh

The Delhi Rouse Avenue court on Tuesday granted two-day interim bail to former WFI chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh in a case of alleged sexual harassment of women wrestlers.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Harjeet Singh granted relief to the BJP MP on a personal bond of Rs 25,000.

Vinod Tomar, the suspended assistant secretary of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), was also granted bail in the same case.

Advocate Rajeev Mohan, along with advocate Rehan Khan, representing Singh and Tomar, filed applications seeking bail on the grounds that the chargesheet was filed without arrest. However, the Public Prosecutor, Atul Srivastava, opposed the bail application. The counsel for Singh and Tomar raised concerns about media trial based on the chargesheet filed.

In response, the court aasked the counsel to file an appropriate application regarding the media trial issues. The court has scheduled the hearing on the regular bail of former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Singh and Vinod Tomar for 20th July 2023.

Six women wrestlers have levelled allegations of sexual harassment against the former WFI chief, leading to the Delhi Police filing a charge sheet on June 15 under sections 354 (assault or criminal force to a woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 354A (sexual harassment), 354D (stalking) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Tomar faces charges under IPC sections 109 (abetment of any offence, if the act abetted is committed in consequence, and where no express provision is made for its punishment), 354, 354A and 506 (criminal intimidation).