A Delhi court granted two-day interim bail on Tuesday to embattled Wrestling Federation of India chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh in the sexual harassment case lodged by women wrestlers, noting that he was not arrested during the investigation and appeared before it “without any coercive process”. Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Harjeet Singh Jaspal, who also granted interim bail to Vinod Tomar, the suspended WFI assistant secretary, granted relief to both of them on a personal bond of Rs 25,000 each.
The court passed the order after the public prosecutor representing Delhi police submitted that even though the charge sheet had been filed without arrest, he was still opposed to the bail applications.
“In the matter at hand, the charge sheet has been filed without arrest. As per the police report, the accused persons have cooperated with the investigation; the accused persons have made their appearance today upon court summons, that is to say, without any coercive process,” the magistrate noted.
He also noted that the alleged offences were punishable by imprisonment for not more than seven years.
“Accused persons undertake to remain present before this court whenever called for and are further ready and willing to furnish bail and are ready to comply with every condition on bail. In these circumstances, this court is bound to follow the mandate of the Apex Court,” he said.
The Supreme Court ruled in 2022 that where the offences were punishable with imprisonment of seven years or less and the charge sheet has been filed without arrest and the accused has cooperated throughout in the investigation, including appearing before the investigating officer whenever called, the bail applications may be decided without the accused being taken into physical custody or by granting them interim bail till the bail application is decided.