Delhi court to start fresh hearing in sexual harassment case against ex-WFI chief from Jan 4

The decision stems from the transfer of Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Harjeet Singh Jaspal of Rouse Avenue Court, who had previously presided over the case

New Delhi: A Delhi court has said that it will start a fresh hearing in the sexual harassment case filed against BJP MP and former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh by six female wrestlers.

The decision stems from the transfer of Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Harjeet Singh Jaspal of Rouse Avenue Court, who had previously presided over the case.

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As the predecessor judge had already heard extensive arguments, the court steessed the need for a fresh hearing, especially on the framing of charges. The matter was at the stage of clarification before an order could be reserved when the transfer occurred. The court has now scheduled the fresh hearing to commence from January 4. Last time, the Delhi Police filed written arguments presenting its stand on whether to frame charges against Singh. ACMM Jaspal had handed the copy of the arguments to the accused’s and complainants’ counsels. Advocate Harsh Bora, representing the complainants, has filed the written arguments earlier.

On October 30, the court had granted three weeks to the counsel in the case to file their written arguments, and had stressed before the parties that the arguments shall be concluded in a systematic manner.

Singh’s counsel had filed the written arguments on November 22. The BJP MP had earlier questioned the jurisdiction of the Delhi court trying a sexual harassment case against him by six women wrestlers, claiming that there was no action or consequence which happened in India.

“There is no action or consequence which has happened in India and therefore, the alleged offences which, as per the prosecution, have happened in Tokyo, Mongolia, Bulgaria, Jakarta, Kazakhistan, Turkey, etc., cannot be tried by this court,” Singh’s counsel, advocate Rajiv Mohan had submitted before the court. The prosecution, however, had said that the act of sexual harassment of the victims was a continuing offence, as it did not stop at any particular time.

“The accused molested the victims whenever he got the opportunity and such harassment cannot be looked in isolated brackets and the series or the chain thereof needs to be seen as one,” it had said. Delhi Police had also told the court that Singh never missed an opportunity to sexually harass women wrestlers, adding that there is sufficient evidence to frame charges against him and proceed with the trial.