WFI Chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh Records Statement, 10-member SIT Formed

The recording of statements in the issue pertaining to WFI Chief Brij Bhushan Singh, who has been accused by multiple female wrestlers of sexual harassment got underway on Friday.

On the complaint of the wrestlers, the statement of Brij Bhushan was recorded and the submission of certain documents was also demanded. The 66-year-old denied the allegations levelled against him.

A Special Investigation Team made up of 10 people was formed under the supervision of a woman DCP, the Delhi Police said on Friday. Six police officers including four women are part of the SIT unit.

Statements of Assistant Secretary WFI Vinod Tomar, who is also an accused in the FIR filed by the Delhi Police, were also taken into record.

Brij Bhushan has asked to collect some video evidence and mobile data in his clarification.

The Delhi Police teams had gone to Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka and Haryana to collect evidence on the wrestler’s complaint. The officers from the capital city’s protection unit are in touch with the concerned agencies even where allegations have been levelled outside the country.

The Delhi Police further stated that Brij Bhushan’s father will also need to be interrogated going forward.

The Delhi Police had filed an application in the Rouse Avenue Court to record the statements, under the Code of Criminal Procedure’s (CrPC) Section 164, of the remaining wrestlers, who have accused the Wrestling Federation of India president of the offences.

The nation’s top protestors, holding a protest against the WFI president challenged Brij Bhushan to take the Lie Detector Narco Test earlier in the week.

Last month, Delhi Police registered two separate First Information Reports (FIRs) against the WFI chief, based on sexual harassment allegations. The first FIR pertains to the accusations made by a minor and has been filed under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, along with relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code concerning the act of outraging modesty.

The second FIR focuses on comprehensive investigations into the complaints made by adult complainants and involves relevant sections of the IPC related to outraging of modesty.

The statement of the minor female wrestler was officially recorded before a magistrate under Section 164 of the CrPC, which specifically deals with the recording of confessions or statements by a magistrate, who then forwards it to the relevant magistrate handling the inquiry or trial of the case, an official said on Thursday.