New Delhi: Sexual assault accused Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Brij Bhushan Singh on Thursday (April 18) told a Delhi court that he wasn’t in the capital when one of his accusers was allegedly harassed.
Raising the defence of alibi, Singh, in his application, asked for further investigation in the case, Bar and Bench reported.
The court deferred its order on framing of charges against the former president of Wrestling Federation of India (WFI). Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Priyanka Rajpoot said the order will be pronounced on April 26.
The prosecution opposed Singh’s application calling it a “delaying tactic”.
The court was set to take a decision of framing of charges against the MP who has been accused of sexual harassment, stalking, outraging of modesty and criminal intimidation by certain women wrestlers, the report said.
Six wrestlers have accused Singh of sexual harassment. A minor wrestler had also levelled allegations against Singh under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO Act), however her complaint was withdrawn amid reports of pressure on her family to back down.
Also read: Stalking, Running Hands Over Breasts, Threats: Accusations Against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh in FIRs
The minor’s father was quoted by the Hindu saying that he had been threatened by people whose names he could not reveal and his family was “living in intense fear” even after withdrawing the complaint against Singh.
On June 15, 2023, the police filed a chargesheet against Singh for offences under Sections 354 (outraging modesty), 354A (sexually coloured remarks), 354D (stalking) and 506(1) (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Bar and Bench reported.
Two FIRs against Singh detail at least 15 incidents of sexual harassment that include 10 episodes of inappropriate touching, molestation that includes running hands over breasts, touching the navel; several instances of intimidation including stalking — and a shared sense of fear and trauma”.
The FIRs against the BJP MP were filed after months-long protest by wrestlers at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar.
