Former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh has declared himself “not guilty” in response to charges filed in a criminal case by female wrestlers.
This development follows a Delhi court’s decision on Tuesday to formally charge Singh with offenses including sexual harassment, intimidation, and outraging the modesty of women. Singh, appearing before Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) Priyanka Rajpoot, entered a plea of not guilty and opted for a trial.
“Why would I admit guilt when I’m innocent?” Singh questioned during the proceedings.
Additionally, the court levied the charge of criminal intimidation against co-accused and former WFI assistant secretary Vinod Tomar in the same case.
#WATCH | When asked about his earlier remark, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh says, “Shaam ko aa jaaiye, latak jaate hain. Are you joking? I had said that the day the allegations are proved…As of now, charges have been framed against me. They now have to prove it in court and tell… https://t.co/aVUgIYDDF1 pic.twitter.com/sIXP7SFzyo
— ANI (@ANI) May 21, 2024
The Delhi Police had previously filed a charge sheet against Singh on June 15, 2023, under sections of the Indian Penal Code relating to assault, sexual harassment, stalking, and criminal intimidation. The charges stem from alleged incidents of sexual harassment, including inappropriate touching, groping, stalking, and intimidation, reportedly occurring over a decade.
Meanwhile, the Patiala House Court in Delhi postponed its ruling on the cancellation report submitted by the Delhi Police in a Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) case involving Singh, who serves as the sitting BJP MP for Kaiserganj in Uttar Pradesh. The case was initiated following a complaint lodged by a minor female wrestler, though the victim later recanted her statement, prompting the police’s cancellation report.
VIDEO | “I have already given evidence of my innocence,” says BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh on Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court framing charges against him in the alleged sexual harassment case. pic.twitter.com/LxH7m7yz22
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 21, 2024
Despite being denied a ticket to contest the Lok Sabha elections due to the sexual harassment allegations, Singh remains confident in his son, Karan Bhushan Singh, who is now the BJP’s candidate for the Kaiserganj constituency. Singh asserted that the allegations would only boost the party’s electoral prospects, emphasizing that the central issue in Kaiserganj remains his own candidacy.
Singh expressed this confidence while speaking to reporters in Kaisarganj, indicating that the allegations against him would not negatively impact the BJP’s performance in the upcoming elections.
(With contributions from ENS, PTI, and ANI)
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