Delhi Police to lodge FIR on sexual harassment complaints of women wrestlers, Solicitor General tells Supreme Court
Satya Prakash
New Delhi, April 28
The Delhi Police on Friday told the Supreme Court that they will lodge an FIR on seven women wrestlers’ complaint of sexual harassment against BJP MP and Wrestling Federation of India president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
“Nothing survives in the petition,” Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told a Bench led by CJI DY Chandrachud, informing it about the decision of the Delhi Police to register an FIR on the complaint of women wrestlers, who have been sitting on a dharna at Jantar Mantar for several days demanding action against the WFI president.
Earlier, the Delhi Police had said that some kind of preliminary enquiry was needed before they can lodge an FIR on sexual harassment allegations levelled by the women wrestlers, including a minor, against Singh.
As senior counsel Kapil Sibal demanded safety of the women wrestlers, the Bench directed the Delhi Police to make an adequate assessment of threat perception and provide security to the minor girl.
“Our direction to provide security to the minor girl shall not stand in the way of the Commissioner of (Delhi) Police making independent threat perception for other complainants for security”, the Bench said, posting the matter for further hearing on next Friday.
“Let security be provided, you can apprise the court of security. Let’s see what happens, it’s an evolving situation,” CJI told Mehta.
Noting that allegations were serious in nature, the Supreme Court had on Tuesday issued notices to the Delhi Government and others on seven women wrestlers’ petition seeking registration of an FIR against BJP MP and Wrestling Federation of India President Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh for allegedly sexual harassment.
The Bench ndash; which also included Justice PS Narasimha ndash; had on April 25 examined the case file and ordered redaction of names of complainant wrestlers from judicial records to ensure that their identities were not made public. It posted the matter for further hearing on Friday.
“There are serious allegations made in the petition by wrestlers who have represented India and sexual harassment meted out to them. The matter requires consideration by this court,” the Bench had noted.
