Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh case: Court asks Delhi Police for copy of plea filed in SC by women wrestlers

March 23, 2024

New Delhi : The Rouse Avenue court on Saturday directed Delhi Police and counsel for complainants to file a copy of the petition filed in the Supreme Court in the Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh case.

A FIR was lodged by Delhi Police after women wrestlers had approached the Supreme Court. The BJP MP is accused of sexual harassment of women wrestlers and the matter is at the stage of framing charges.

Delhi police and complainants’ counsel filed some documents. The court has granted time to counsel for the accused to file rebuttal submissions.
Thereafter, the Delhi police is to file its rebuttal submissions. Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM), Priyanka Rajpoot, was asked to file a copy of the petition filed in the Supreme Court on behalf of women wrestlers.

The matter has been listed on March 27 for a hearing. On March 15, the court had asked to file clarification on the point of territorial jurisdiction.
The court on February 27 listed the matter for clarification, if any, after hearing the submissions of Delhi police and counsel for Delhi police.
Additional Public Prosecutor (APP) Atul Srivastava had submitted that the alleged offences committed by the accused were in continuity and there was commonality in the same.

He had also submitted that there is sufficient material to frame charges against the accused persons. The court has to see whether there is prima facie evidence to frame charges or not at this stage. The court needs to go deep into the evidence at the stage of framing the charges, APP submitted.

Advocate Rajiv Mohan, along with Rishabh Bhati and Rehan Khan, appeared for Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.

Advocate Rajiv Mohan had submitted that the oversight committee (OC) was formed by the government under the provisions of the PoSH Act.
It had recorded the statement in connection with allegations levelled by the complainants, defence counsel submitted. Statements recorded before OC are previous statements, he added.

He also argued that there were contradictions in the statement of a complainant in relation to time and place of incidents.
Earlier, it was argued that there was a delay in reporting of the alleged offences. It is also contended that contradictions in the affidavit and statement of complaint.

Counsel Rajiv Mohan had also argued that there was long delay in reporting the alleged offences. Incident of 2012 and thereafter reported to the police in 2023.

The statement given before Oversight committee can’t be brushed aside, he argued. Counsel for accused also argued that the alleged incident took place at different time and places. There is no link between the incidents.It was argued that women wrestlers started their Protest on 18 January 2023 in New Delhi.

On 23 January Over sight committee was formed by the government. It filed its Report in April 5. On April 21, 2023, six complaints were filed in Police station Connaught place. On 28 April FIR was lodged.