Govt panel didn’t exonerate Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh: Cops to court | India News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Former WFI chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, accused of sexual harassment by several women wrestlers, has not been exonerated by the oversight committee constituted by the government to investigate the allegations, Delhi police told a city court on Saturday. “Nowhere has it (the committee) stated that these allegations are not substantiated or are false,” the special public prosecutor said.

Brij Bhushan not exonerated by oversight panel, court told
Delhi Police told a court on Saturday that former WFI chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, accused of sexual harassment of several women wrestlers, has not been exonerated by the oversight committee constituted by the government to investigate the allegations against him.

The police made the submission before additional chief metropolitan magistrate Harjeet Singh Jaspal during the argument on whether to frame charges against Singh in the case. The prosecution said that the committee’s report cannot be called an “exoneration” and defence can’t claim benefit.
“Singh was not exonerated by the oversight committee. The committee merely makes a recommendation it does not provide for any adjudication/decision and thus by no stretch of imagination the said report can be called an exoneration. Nowhere has it stated that these allegations are not substantiated or are false,” special public prosecutor Atul Srivastava contended.

Urged the court to frame charges against Singh, Srivastava said even a mere gesture can constitute a crime under Section 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Delhi Police had filed a chargesheet against the six-time MP on June 15 under sections 354, 354A (sexual harassment), 354D (stalking) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC.
Singh appeared before the court during the proceedings on Saturday. The court posted the matter for September 23, when Delhi Police will resume its arguments on the charges against Singh.

Union sports ministry had constituted an oversight committee headed by Indian boxing great M C Mary Kom to investigate the allegations levelled by women wrestlers against Singh after their protest in the national capital. Its report was not made public, but a copy was given to Delhi Police .
The court had on July 20 granted bail to Singh and suspended Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) assistant secretary Vinod Tomar. Both were never arrested in the case.