Atul Yadav, Gonda14 minutes ago
How did UP strongman BJP leader Brijbhushan Sharan Singh get acquitted in the case where allegations of sexual harassment by women wrestlers caused an uproar from Parliament to the streets? To find the answer, ‘Dainik Bhaskar’ spoke to the panel of lawyers who fought Brijbhushan’s case. They gave 5 major reasons.
We learned from the lawyers which evidence the court considered weak and which witnesses it did not trust. Read on what evidence and witnesses the Delhi Rouse Avenue Court based its decision on August 3.
On August 6, Brijbhushan Singh demonstrated his strength.
1- What discrepancies did the court find in the witnesses’ statements?
Advocates say – The court also examined the statements of the main victim witness. According to the court, changes in the place, year, and dates of incidents emerged in statements given at different times.
- One incident was initially reported in Turkey in 2015, later it was described as an incident in Mongolia in 2016.
- An incident at the WFI (Wrestling Federation of India) office was initially reported as October 15, 2017. This date was a Sunday, when the office used to be closed. Subsequently, the date was changed to October 16 and 17.
- The alleged incidents of Jakarta Asian Games 2018 and Kazakhstan 2019 were not mentioned in the initial affidavit. The court also took into account the later addition of these allegations.
2- If sexual harassment occurred, why did the victim go to meet Brijbhushan?
The court also noted the meetings between the victim and the accused after the alleged incidents. The verdict stated that some incidents were claimed to have occurred in public places, but at that time, no objection was raised by any eyewitness or relative.
The court also noted that after their marriage in December 2018, the victim and her husband went to Brijbhushan Sharan Singh’s house to seek blessings. Pictures of this were also presented in court.
On August 6, Brijbhushan Singh took out a ‘Satyamev Jayate’ rally from Nandini Nagar Mahavidyalaya in Gonda to Hanumangarhi in Ayodhya. The total distance was about 14 km.
3- Two female wrestlers denied the allegations in court
In the case, two victim witnesses denied allegations of misbehaviour against Brijbhushan in court. They told the court that they were pressured to make allegations against Brijbhushan.
According to them, they were told that until Brijbhushan was removed from the post of WFI president, the future of wrestlers from Haryana would be ruined. They also said that they were given complaints prepared in English, which they were asked to translate into Hindi and memorise.
4- Court also found contradictions in other allegations
The court also mentioned inconsistencies in the statements of other witnesses. One witness claimed that the incident occurred on February 28, 2018, in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. But according to the official match schedule, their match was on March 1.
Meanwhile, another had refused in writing to have the alleged incident site inspected with the police. According to the court, the prosecution could not provide a satisfactory reason for this.
More than a thousand vehicles were part of Brijbhushan’s rally. Saints welcomed him in Ayodhya.
5- What did the court say regarding the complaints?
The court also noted that there was no written complaint or official record of sexual harassment against Brijbhushan before the sit-ins and protests began.
The verdict also raised questions about the language of the complaints and their similarities. The court found that there were several contradictions in the prosecution’s story and that it failed to prove the allegations beyond a reasonable doubt.
What was the court’s final decision?
After reviewing all these statements, documents, and other evidence, the trial court acquitted Brijbhushan Sharan Singh and Vinod Tomar of all charges. This means the court held that the prosecution failed to present sufficient and reliable evidence to prove the charges.
Now understand the whole case
Based on the complaint of six female wrestlers in 2023, an FIR was registered against Brijbhushan Sharan Singh at the Connaught Place police station in Delhi. Police had filed a charge sheet against him under sections like outraging the modesty of a woman, sexual harassment, stalking, and criminal intimidation. WFI former assistant secretary Vinod Tomar was charged under the section of criminal intimidation.
