New Delhi: Written arguments were filed on behalf of women wrestlers in the Rouse Avenue Court of Delhi in connection with framing of charges against former Wrestling Federation of India President Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh on charges of sexual harassment, sources said. Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Harjeet Singh Jaspal fixed the next hearing in the case on December 6.
The court also directed Delhi Police to file its written arguments on framing of charges by December 6. The court said that if all the parties want to present some additional written arguments, then they should file them by December 6. In this case, written arguments were filed on behalf of Brij Bhushan Singh and Vinod Tomar on 22 November.
During the earlier hearing, Brij Bhushan's lawyer Rajeev Mohan had said that the court does not have jurisdiction over incidents that happened abroad. He had said that the court does not have the jurisdiction to try crimes committed outside the country, because the crimes have taken place in the country and outside it.
Also read: Wrestlers' sexual harassment case: Delhi court to hear arguments on framing of charges on Nov 28
He argued that permission was to be taken from the concerned authority to prosecute the accused. To this, the court had asked whether the crime of sexual exploitation could be called a continuing crime, which is committed at different places and times. On this, the lawyer appearing for Delhi Police had said that sexual exploitation is a continuing crime, because it did not stop at any one place.
During the hearing on September 1, lawyer Rebecca John, on behalf of the women wrestlers, had said that the over-site committee was not formed as per the rules. She sought that charges should be framed against the accused on the basis of the charges under which the charge sheet was filed. On July 20, the court had granted bail to Brijbhushan Sharan Singh and co-accused Vinod Tomar in the case.
On July 7, the court had taken cognizance of the charge sheet filed by Delhi Police. On June 15, Delhi Police had filed a charge sheet in Rouse Avenue Court. In the charge sheet, charges have been leveled under sections 354, 354D, 354A and 506 (1) of the Indian Penal Code. Delhi Police had filed a charge sheet against Brij Bhushan Singh in the Rouse Avenue Court in the case of sexual harassment leveled by six adult female wrestlers.
