New Delhi [India], August 9 (ANI): While acquitting former BJP MP and ex WFI Chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, Rouse Avenue Court said that the allegations levelled against him seem politically motivated, at the same time fabricated. The court also highlighted that the prosecution failed to prove the allegations and the prosecution witnesses cited turned hostile during the trial.
Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (MP-MLA Court) Ashwani Panwar on August 3 acquitted Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and Vinod Tomar in a case of alleged sexual harrasment lodged on a complaint filed by women wrestlers.
The judgement is not publicly available. However, it raised many questions on the manner in which the allegations were levelled against the accused persons.
The court noted that the allegations were levelled by the women wrestlers at the same time. Though the alleged incidents took place at different times and places.
The court also noted that some of the complainants were in touch with the accused persons even after the accusations. They invited the ex WFI chief to family functions and weddings. It raised doubt on the reliability of the allegations.
“Despite the alleged incidents, they had maintained cordial relations with the accused, invited him to family functions and wedding ceremonies and continued to interact with him. No contemporaneous complaint was made by them or by the persons who allegedly knew of the incidents,” the court observed.
The Court also noticed that the victims met the higher authorities, but they did not disclose the incident to them also.
The court found that the evidence of the hostile witnesses, the subsequent conduct of the alleged victims, the circumstances surrounding their earlier statements and the absence of contemporaneous complaints collectively supported the defence contention that the allegations were not reliable.
During the arguements it was submitted by the advocate Rajiv Mohan, counsel for Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, that the allegations levelled against the accused are false.
The Court observed that the entire allegations against the accused persons are false and fabricated, made collectively at the instance of two Prosecution witnesses and the coaches of Mahadev Academy, in a deep conspiracy which seems to be politically motivated.
“The allegations are strikingly similar, made at the same time, at a common place, which shows prior meticulous planning against the accused persons,” the court said.
After considering all the documentary and other evidence and deposition of the witnesses as well as other material on record, the court said, “This Court has no hitch in holding that the prosecution has miserably failed to prove the allegations against the accused persons beyond reasonable doubt.”
“Accordingly, the accused Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh stands acquitted of all charges under Sections 354, 354A, 506 (Part-I) of the IPC and the accused Vinod Tomar is acquitted of the charge under Section 506 (Part-I) of the IPC,” the court ordered. (ANI)
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