Delhi Court drops POCSO case against ex-WFI chief Brij Bhushan after minor withdraws allegation

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Delhi Court drops POCSO case against ex-WFI chief Brij Bhushan after minor withdraws allegation



NEW DELHI: A Delhi court has accepted the closure report filed by city police in a sexual harassment case against BJP leader and former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, involving allegations made by a female wrestler who was a minor at the time.The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) case, which carries a minimum jail term of three years depending on the charges, was closed after the complainant expressed no objection to the police findings.The order was passed by Additional Sessions Judge Gomti Manocha at Patiala House Court. During an in-camera hearing on August 1, 2023, the wrestler told the judge she was satisfied with the police investigation and did not wish to pursue the matter further.Delhi Police had moved to close the case on June 15, 2023, after the minor’s father admitted during the probe that he had lodged a false complaint against Singh. Citing a lack of corroborative evidence, police recommended that the case under the POCSO Act be dropped.Singh claimed the allegations were made in retaliation for what he perceived as unfair treatment of his daughter. The former BJP MP from Gonda has denied all allegations.However, he continues to face separate charges of sexual harassment and stalking in another case filed by six adult women wrestlers. In that case, formal charges were framed against Singh and ex-WFI assistant secretary Vinod Tomar on May 21, 2024, with both denying the allegations and demanding a trial.Charges under Sections 354 and 354A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) have been framed against Singh, along with charges under Section 506 (part 1), based on allegations by two women.Tomar faces charges under Section 506 (part 1) of the IPC based on one woman’s allegations but has been discharged from other allegations.The Delhi Police chargesheet, submitted on June 15, 2023, stated that both accused complied with investigative requirements under Section 41A of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), allowing the trial to proceed without arrest.The comprehensive 1,599-page document includes statements from 44 witnesses and photographic evidence.



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