WFI Chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh Summoned By Delhi Court Over Sexual Harassment Case

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• Jul 7, 2023 | Dhupali Das

Wrestling Federation of India's chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, accused of alleged sexual harassment by several athletes...

Digital Desk: Wrestling Federation of India's (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, accused of alleged sexual harassment by several athletes, has been summoned to Delhi's Rose Avenue court on July 18.

The court ruled that there was enough evidence to proceed against the accused.

On June 15, the Delhi Police filed a chargesheet with allegations of sexual harassment, criminal intimidation, and stalking against Brij Bhushan. The chargesheet was issued following complaints from several female wrestlers, and the delay caused an uproar throughout the globe.

Apart from this case, another FIR was filed against Singh based on allegations made by a minor wrestler and was registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act. She was one of seven female wrestlers who accused Singh of sexual harassment.

Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh has refuted all allegations of sexual assault and even released a strong statement denying all charges. If convicted, he may face up to three years in prison. One of his aides stated that the lawmaker "will continue to cooperate with police and will respect the court's decision."

The wrestlers, who included several Olympic and Asian Games medalists, staged a sit-in protest against Singh in January and then returned in April to protest the lack of action. They were briefly detained by police in New Delhi as they cleared the site the following month.

Images of the athletes being pulled away and carted away in buses went viral, drawing outrage from top athletes and opposition leaders.

Before agreeing to meet Home Minister Amit Shah and then Sports Minister Anurag Thakur, the wrestlers threatened to throw their medals into the Ganges, India's holy river.

Amid rising outrage, Wrestlers suspended their protest after Minister Anurag Thakur announced a June 15 deadline to conclude the investigation into Singh.