Today, On 26th July, The Delhi court summoned the victim to testify in the Brij Bhushan sexual harassment case. Meanwhile, the forensic analysis of crucial mobile evidence has faced delays at the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL).
New Delhi: The Rouse Avenue court, On Friday, postponed the recording of evidence in a sexual harassment case involving former MP and ex-WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. The delay was due to a mobile phone seized during the investigation still being at the Forensic Science Lab (FSL) in Rohini, Delhi.
Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM) Priyanka Rajpoot deferred the chief examination of Constable Mukesh Kumar, who had been involved in the investigation and had gone to the ex-MP’s village in Gonda, Uttar Pradesh.
During this investigation, two mobile phones seized from Deepak Singh and Subedar Yadav, and they are currently held at the FSL.
The court summoned one of the victims and another witness, Rashmi, to give their evidence. It offered to record the victim’s statement in a vulnerable witness room if she feels uncomfortable testifying in the courtroom.
The matter has been rescheduled for August 6. Earlier, on July 11, the court ordered the trial and recording of the prosecution witnesses’ statements in the sexual harassment case against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and Vinod Tomar to commence.
Advocate Rajiv Mohan, representing Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, withdrew an application requesting specific documents related to the ex-MP’s foreign travel and hotel stays, with the option to file a new application later. Charges against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and Vinod Tomar formally framed on May 21, which they denied, leading to a trial.
The court, on May 10, found sufficient evidence to proceed against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh for the sexual harassment of five women wrestlers and the offence of outraging the modesty of women, framing charges under sections 354 and 354A of the IPC. Charges under section 506 (part 1) also framed based on the allegations of two women. However, Brij Bhushan was discharged from allegations made by a sixth wrestler.
Vinod Tomar faced charges under Section 506 (part 1) of the IPC from one woman’s allegation but discharged from other allegations.
The Delhi Police filed a 1,599-page chargesheet on June 15, 2023, against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and Vinod Tomar, stating that they were to be tried “without arrest” as they complied with Section 41A of the CrPC.
The chargesheet included statements from 44 witnesses and six statements recorded under Section 164 of the CrPC, along with several photographs taken during events. The police concluded that Brij Bhushan Singh was “liable to be prosecuted and punished for offences” including sexual harassment, molestation, and stalking.
Two FIRs registered against Brij Bhushan Singh based on complaints by female wrestlers. One FIR, under the POCSO Act, resulted in a cancellation report for a minor wrestler.
The second FIR based on complaints from several wrestlers, leading to charges under sections 354, 354A, and 354D of the IPC against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and under sections 109, 354, 354A, and 506 of the IPC against Vinod Tomar, as confirmed by Suman Nalwa, PRO, Delhi Police.