Court records SIT member’s statement in women wrestlers’ sexual harassment case against Brij Bhushan

The Rouse Avenue Court on Tuesday recorded the statement of a member of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the sexual harassment case against former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief and ex-BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, as the trial moved closer to the conclusion of prosecution evidence. The court will next record the statement of the investigation officer on May 15 and May 19.

Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Ashwani Panwar recorded the deposition of Inspector Sandeep, a member of the SIT that investigated allegations of sexual harassment levelled by women wrestlers against Singh during his tenure as WFI president.

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Singh and former WFI assistant secretary Vinod Tomar are facing trial in connection with allegations that women wrestlers were sexually harassed in India and abroad while Singh headed the federation. The Delhi Police had registered an FIR based on complaints filed by women wrestlers and later submitted a chargesheet after completing its investigation.

With the prosecution’s evidence nearing closure, the court is now set to hear the testimony of the investigation officer in the coming hearings.

Singh also responded to the ongoing controversy involving wrestler Vinesh Phogat, who was recently declared ineligible to compete in the National Open Ranking Tournament in Gonda following a show-cause notice issued by the WFI.

Rejecting Phogat’s allegations that she was prevented from participating, Singh said the federation never stops athletes from competing in tournaments. “The WFI exists solely for the athletes. If anyone was prevented from competing, the reason must have been provided,” he said.

The latest dispute erupted after Phogat revealed that she was among the six women wrestlers who had filed sexual harassment complaints against Singh. She had emerged as one of the leading faces of the wrestlers’ protest movement in 2023.