Delhi Police Chargesheet Against WFI Chief: Female Wrestlers' Testimonies, Witness Statements, CDRs, Photo And Video Evidence Cited

In the chargesheet filed against wrestling Federation of India chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the Delhi police has cited photograph evidence in at least four of the six complaints by female wrestlers and video evidence in at least three instances of alleged sexual harassment, according to The Indian Express.

The police have compiled testimonies of the wrestlers, statements of 70-80 witnesses and technical evidence such as photographs, videos and call detail records in chargesheet to support the complaints.

The 1,500-page chargesheet against Singh was filed on Thursday (15 June) for alleged sexual harassment, assault and stalking of six women wrestlers. The case will be heard 22 June.

In a separate case against Singh under the POCSO Act, the police filed a cancellation report after the minor complainant retracted her statement before a magistrate.

A senior police office was quoted in the IE report as saying that each complaint made by the six wrestlers has been mentioned separately in the chargesheet since multiple incidents were stated by them in their complaints.

"For each complaint, we have cited corroborating witnesses, photos or videos," the officer was quoted as saying.

Further, photographic evidence has been attached in four out of the six complaints, which are from different tournaments and events showing the accused and the complainants, according to the officer.

"They are photos from medal ceremonies, group photos and other events. Some were submitted by the wrestlers while others have been retrieved from other sources,” the officer added.

The incidents cited in the wrestlers' complaints are mainly from the WFI office, tournaments, camps, and events.

The police have attached a few videos to corroborate the allegations.

The officer added that it is now up to the court to decide the nature of the offense and punishment, as the police have simply put together technical evidence related to the complaints.

One of the wrestlers alleged in the FIR lodged on 28 April that while she was on the mat, Singh pulled up her T-shirt and placed his hand on her breast “on the pretext of examining/checking my breathing”.

Another wrestler alleged that after a tournament, Singh touched her inappropriately during a team photograph and “forcibly held her” by the shoulder when she objected.

Similar allegations were made by another wrestler who said Singh sexually harassed her at the time a photograph was being taken.

The chargesheet against Singh includes detailed testimonies from around 22 witnesses who reportedly corroborated the allegations made by the six wrestlers.

The chargesheet also includes entries of CDRs and location details from several phones dating back to last year.

According to senior police officers cited in the IE report, access to call details and phone records from previous years was not readily available.

"From the six complaints received, some have cited instances from 2012 to 2018… However, we have managed to get CDRs in four cases," another officer was quoted in the report as saying.

The court accepts CDRs as technical evidence and Singh's location has also been cited in some cases.