Chargesheet filed against WFI chief Brij Bhushan Singh for sexual harassment

After months of protest by wrestlers, there is a move forward from Delhi Police regarding the sexual assault case. A chargesheet has been filed against the Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. Chargesheet includes three sections: 354, 354A, and 354D of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Apart from this, a chargesheet has been filed against suspended WFI assistant secretary Vinod Tomar. This chargesheet includes sections 506 and 109.

The filed chargesheet has 1000+ pages, including the evidence collected by the Delhi police during the investigation. The Delhi Police have found additional charges. However, there is no corroborative evidence about the POCSO Act. The case was filed by a minor wrestler and her father.

According to the latest statement on the case, the father of the minor wrestler had withdrawn the complaint. Initially, the wrestler had complained about a sexual assault. Based on her statement, an FIR was filed.

Recently, when she was asked to give her statement for the second time, she changed her stance, saying that she gave the initial one in anger after being left out of the selection, despite practicing hard.

Delhi Police revealed that further consideration on this matter will take place on July 4.

Notably, the Delhi Police had earlier filed a couple of FIRs against Brij Bhushan Singh based on the allegations by the wrestlers.

The wrestlers protested at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi earlier this year. They had asked for the arrest of former WFI chief Brij Bhushan. However, there was no action for more than a month. The wrestlers then took the matter to Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur. The Minister promised them immediate action after the investigation.

Upon meeting the Union Sports Minister at his residence, the wrestlers paused the protest.

The first FIR was based on the complaint from the minor wrestler. A case was first under the POCSO Act. The second FIR was based on the complaints from the adult wrestlers, involving related sections which deal with outraging of modesty.

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WFI elections on July 6

On Monday, The Indian Olympic Association confirmed that the WFI elections will happen on July 6. They have appointed retired Justice Mahesh Mittal to conduct elections. Mittal is the former chief justice of the Jammu & Kashmir High Court.

Initially, the elections were supposed to be on May 7 but got postponed because of the Wrestlers' protest.