Delhi court approves closure of POCSO case against ex-WFI chief Brij Bhushan Singh

A Delhi court on Monday accepted a closure report filed by the Delhi Police in a sexual harassment case involving former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, brought by a wrestler who was a minor at the time of the alleged incident.

“Cancellation accepted,” stated Additional Sessions Judge Gomti Manocha, allowing the police’s request to drop the case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

The decision follows an in-chamber hearing held on August 1, 2023, during which the complainant expressed her satisfaction with the police investigation and confirmed she had no objections to the closure report.

Delhi Police had submitted the report on June 15, 2023, after the wrestler’s father admitted during the investigation that he had fabricated the allegations to retaliate against Singh for what he perceived as unfair treatment of his daughter. As a result, the police concluded that there was “no corroborative evidence” to support the minor’s complaint.

Although this specific case was dropped, Singh continues to face charges of sexual harassment and stalking in a separate case filed by six other female wrestlers.

The POCSO Act, under which the original complaint was registered, mandates a minimum sentence of three years imprisonment depending on the nature of the offence.

Singh, who previously served as a BJP Member of Parliament, has repeatedly denied all allegations against him.