On Friday, the Rouse Avenue court 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 being held 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 was involved in the investigation and had seized two mobile phones from Deepak Singh and Subedar Yadav in Gonda, Uttar Pradesh. These phones are currently at the FSL.
The court also summoned a victim and another witness, Rashmi, to provide their evidence. The court noted that if the victim is uncomfortable testifying in the courtroom, her statement would be recorded in a vulnerable witness room. The next hearing is scheduled for August 6.
On July 11, the court ordered the trial and recording of prosecution witness statements to commence in the alleged sexual harassment case against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and Vinod Tomar. Meanwhile, Brij Bhushan’s counsel, advocate Rajiv Mohan, withdrew an application seeking documents related to foreign travel and hotel stays, with the option to refile with detailed authority information.
The court formally framed charges against Brij Bhushan and Vinod Tomar on May 21, which they denied, demanding a trial. Charges were initially ordered to be framed on May 10, based on allegations by several women wrestlers. The court found sufficient material to proceed against Brij Bhushan under sections 354 and 354A of the IPC and under section 506 (part 1) based on allegations from two women. However, he was discharged from allegations by a sixth wrestler.
Vinod Tomar faced charges under section 506 (part 1) of the IPC based on one woman’s allegations and was discharged from other allegations. The court scheduled the formal framing of charges for May 21.
The Delhi Police chargesheet, filed against Brij Bhushan and Tomar, indicated they complied with Section 41A of the CrPC by joining the investigation without arrest. The 1,599-page chargesheet included statements from 44 witnesses and six statements under Section 164 of the CrPC, alongside several event photographs. The chargesheet concluded that Brij Bhushan was “liable to be prosecuted and punished for offences” of sexual harassment, molestation, and stalking.
The case originated from complaints by women wrestlers, leading to two FIRs against Brij Bhushan—one under the POCSO Act, which resulted in a cancellation report for a minor wrestler, and another based on complaints from multiple wrestlers. The Delhi Police chargesheeted Brij Bhushan for offences under sections 354, 354A, and 354D of the IPC, and Vinod Tomar for offences under sections 109, 354, 354A, and 506 of the IPC, as confirmed by Suman Nalwa, PRO, Delhi Police.