Delhi court orders charges to be framed against ex-WFI chief in female wrestlers' case

New Delhi: In response to complaints of harassment of female wrestlers, a Delhi court on Friday ordered the filing of criminal intimidation, allegations of sexual harassment, and the use of force to violate women's modesty against BJP MP and former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.

Recently, the court dismissed an application by Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh seeking further examination of evidence concerning his whereabouts on the date -- September 7, 2022 -- of an alleged incident.

The plea had argued for a detailed investigation into his claims of being abroad when the incident purportedly took place. The application had also demanded that the Delhi Police produce the Call Detail Record (CDR).

Additional Public Prosecutor Atul Srivastava, representing the Delhi Police, had opposed the application, arguing that the timing of the request was strategic and intended to prolong the case. He had stressed the potential legal ramifications of reopening the investigation at this stage.

Counsel for the complainants had criticised the application as a tactic to delay the proceedings. They argued that the necessary documents should have been procured earlier under Section 207 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), which deals with the communication of evidence to the accused.

With inputs from IANS