The Patiala House Court in Delhi accepted the cancellation report filed by the Delhi Police in the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) case against former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief and ex-MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
The POCSO case had been registered on the basis of a complaint by a then-minor woman wrestler alleging sexual harassment by Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. Following the initiation of proceedings, the Delhi Police filed a 500-page cancellation report under the POCSO Act on 15 June 2023, after the minor victim withdrew her statement. On 4 July 2023, the Patiala House Court issued a notice to the complainant and her father, requiring their response to the cancellation report.
The matter was heard by Special Judge (POCSO) Gomati Manocha. The complainant and her father appeared before the court to verify their statements and confirmed their satisfaction with the investigation conducted by the Delhi Police. Public Prosecutor Atul Shrivastava informed that the complainant and her father did not challenge the cancellation report.
The Delhi Police submitted that the minor wrestler had retracted her allegations, and both she and her father supported the cancellation of the case. Srivastava confirmed before the media that the parties expressed no objection to the findings and recommendations of the investigation.
On 17 May 2024, the court once again summoned the complainant to verify her retraction and the authenticity of her statement in the context of the case.
After examining the cancellation report and verifying the complainant’s statement, Special Judge Gomati Manocha accepted the report submitted by the Delhi Police. The court found no grounds to proceed further under the POCSO Act.
The Court formally accepted the cancellation report, thereby closing the POCSO case against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
Separately, in a connected matter concerning allegations of sexual harassment, the Delhi Police had filed a charge sheet before the Rouse Avenue Court against Brij Bhushan Singh and Vinod Tomar. The charges were framed under Sections 354, 354A, and 354D of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against Singh. Tomar was additionally charged under Sections 109, 354, 354A, and 506 of the IPC. The court has ordered the framing of charges and directed the commencement of trial with the recording of prosecution witnesses’ statements.
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