Police Yet To Record Our Statement, Women Wrestlers Tell SC; File Sealed Cover
Top women wrestlers told Supreme Court on Wednesday that the Delhi police has not taken any action after registration of a first information report (BJP) on their complaint accusing Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) member of Parliament Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh of sexual harassment.
Appearing before a bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud and justice PS Narasimha, senior advocate Narender Hooda representing the women wrestlers said, “They (Delhi police) are doing absolutely nothing on our complaint. The police is yet to record our statement under Section 161 of Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).”
He sought permission of the Court to place additional material in this regard in a sealed cover ahead of the hearing on Thursday.
Solicitor general Tushar Mehta appeared for the Delhi police and suggested to the Court that the petitioners could submit the same material directly to the police.
He said, “Why don’t they go and show this (material) to the investigation agency. An investigation is already on.”
The bench told the petitioners, “You give a copy to the solicitor general.”
Hooda said that he had no objection to share the contents of the sealed cover with the solicitor general but did not want the same to come out in public domain.
After receiving the documents, the Court allowed Mehta to share the information with the investigating officer of the case.
It was on April 28, the Delhi police had agreed to register an FIR on the complaint of seven women wrestlers (including a minor) after three of them moved the top court for direction to register their complaint of sexual harassment submitted at Connaught Place police station in Delhi on April 21.
Even before arguments on the petition could commence, the police agreed to register FIR.
The same day, two FIRs were registered, one including offences under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the other exclusively dealing with the minor girl’s complaint registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
The Court had also directed the Delhi police to make a threat perception assessment of the seven women complainants and provide necessary security arrangements.
The police was also directed to submit an affidavit of compliance by May 4.
The wrestlers have been staging a protest at Capital’s Jantar Mantar seeking action against Singh.
In their petition before the top court, women wrestlers had submitted that their complaint disclosed a cognizable offence and by not registering FIR, the Delhi police violated a 2014 constitution bench decision of the top court requiring mandatory FIR in cognizable offences.
The refusal to register such a case would invite prosecution of police officials under Section 166A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the petition added.
In January, the wrestlers went public with their complaint against Singh by staging a protest in the national Capital.