Twitter
Advertisement

DNA Special: Legal DNA test of ongoing tussle between WFI Chief Brij Bhushan Singh and women wrestlers

There is mention of sexual favors being sought from women wrestlers in lieu of professional help at least twice in the FIRs. Women wrestlers have reported at least 15 incidents of sexual harassment to the police.

Latest News
article-main
FacebookTwitterWhatsappLinkedin

Today, we will do a legal DNA test of the ongoing dispute between WFI Chief Brij Bhushan Singh and women wrestlers and we will try to understand that even after two FIRs have been registered, Brij Bhushan Singh is not being arrested. What does the law say about this? Now for this, it is necessary to know what allegations of sexual exploitation have been made by women wrestlers on Brij Bhushan Singh and under which sections, FIR has been lodged against Brij Bhushan Singh.

Brij Bhushan Singh was accused by women wrestlers on April 21 and the Delhi Police had registered two FIRs on April 28. Today, we will tell you what and how the seven female wrestlers, including a minor, have accused Brij Bhushan Singh in the FIR. 

The incidents mentioned by women wrestlers in their sexual harassment complaints against Brij Bhushan Singh happened between 2012 and 2022. Apart from Brij Bhushan Singh, WFI Secretary Vinod Tomar is also named in the FIR registered on the complaint of 6 women wrestlers. The information about the FIRs registered against Brij Bhushan Singh has come to the fore. 

There is mention of sexual favors being sought from women wrestlers in lieu of professional help at least twice in the FIRs. Women wrestlers have reported at least 15 incidents of sexual harassment to the police.

In ten sexual harassment complaints against Brij Bhushan, female wrestlers have complained of inappropriate touching. In the FIRs, women wrestlers have also complained about stalking and threats by Brij Bhushan Singh.

It was on the basis of the statement of the minor female wrestler that the Delhi Police had registered the first FIR against Brij Bhushan Singh in which the POCSO Act has also been imposed.

According to the FIRs registered on the basis of complaints of women wrestlers, the allegations of sexual exploitation against the accused Brij Bhushan include;

Forcibly catching women wrestlers.
Touching in the name of taking a picture.
Pressing the shoulder hard.
Attempting to bribe in exchange for sexual favors.
Threatening after sexual assault.

Delhi Police is saying that Brij Bhushan Singh has not been arrested due to lack of evidence and Brij Bhushan Singh is repeating the same thing again and again that if even a single allegation is proved against him, he will hang himself. So whose responsibility is it to collect evidence in this case?

In Section 101 of the Indian Evidence Act 1972, the Burden of Proof i.e. the responsibility of giving evidence has been explained. According to this the onus of proving the allegation is generally on the complainant.

So from this point of view, the responsibility of giving evidence against Brij Bhushan Singh also falls on the women wrestlers who have leveled the allegations. But there is also an FIR against Brij Bhushan Singh for sexually abusing a minor female wrestler under the POCSO Act.

Under Section-29 of the POCSO Act, the Burden of Proof is on the accused. That is, the accused himself has to give that evidence which can prove him innocent.

According to this, the responsibility of proving himself innocent in the case of sexual exploitation of a minor wrestler falls on Brij Bhushan Singh. But this responsibility has been taken by the police themselves. And the sources are telling that the police is not getting any such evidence against Brij Bhushan Singh in the FIR under POCSO Act, on the basis of which Brij Bhushan Singh can be arrested. 

The Supreme Court had given this rule that arrest is not mandatory even in a cognizable offense unless the investigating officer of the case finds it necessary to arrest.

But the Supreme Court had not said anywhere in this case that arrest is not mandatory even under the POCSO Act. 

But the way, the movement of wrestlers is getting faster now, questions are being raised on the government as well and allegations are being made that Brij Bhushan Singh is benefiting from being a BJP MP.

The Union Sports Minister is saying that the wrestlers should get justice. But the police are saying that they could not find any evidence against Brij Bhushan Singh. And Brij Bhushan Singh has been saying from the very beginning that if evidence is found against him, he himself will be hanged. But the question is on the intention of the police because there are many such cases..when the police oppose the bail plea of the accused saying that the accused can use his position to influence the witnesses and evidence. So do the police think that Brij Bhushan Singh does not have the ability to influence witnesses and evidence? And when there is a provision in the POCSO Act that the accused Brij Bhushan Singh has to give evidence to prove his innocence, then why is the pressure being put on the wrestlers to give evidence?

But now this matter is catching fire. The Khap Panchayat has come in support of the wrestlers who are adamant about demanding the arrest of Brij Bhushan Singh. A maha panchayat of farmers and khap organizations was held in Kurukshetra. The government has been given time till June 9 to take action against Brij Bhushan Singh. Khap panchayat and farmer leaders have warned the government that if action is not taken on Brij Bhushan, there will be Khap maha panchayat in the whole country.

The wrestlers, who have been agitating for the last forty days, have now started getting the support of the people.

Now the wrestlers have also got the support of former players of the 1983 World Cup-winning cricket team. Legendary opener Sunil Gavaskar, current BCCI president Roger Binny, Dilip Vengsarkar, and Madan Lal, including the 1983 cricket team led by Kapil Dev, have released a joint statement. 

That is, now this case is no longer a matter between the wrestlers and former Wrestling Federation President Brij Bhushan Singh. This has also become a matter of the respect of the country because the whole world is watching how the wrestlers who won medals for the country are being misbehaved with to save a "special" person. 

Find your daily dose of news & explainers in your WhatsApp. Stay updated, Stay informed-  Follow DNA on WhatsApp.
Advertisement

Live tv

Advertisement
Advertisement