'Sufficient evidence': Big blow to Brij Bhushan as court orders to frame charges against him in sexual assault case

The court has said there is sufficient evidence on record to frame charges against the ex-wrestling body chief, paving the way for commencing trial against him.

Reacting to the order, Singh "welcomed" it, asserting that he was "ready to face it".

The Rouse Avenue court passed the order days after the Bharatiya Janata Party decided not to repeat Brij Bhushan, who was representing Uttar Pradesh's Kaiserganj in the Lok Sabha and instead fielded his son Karan Bhushan Singh from the seat.

The court ordered that Brij Bhushan should be framed with charges under sections 354 (outraging a woman's modesty), 354-A (sexual harassment) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code.

The Delhi Police had filed a chargesheet against these sections and one additional section - 354D (stalking) - on June 15 last year.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Priyanka Rajpoot said the charges would be framed against Brij Bhushan for sexually harassing five wrestlers and that he stands discharged in the allegations levelled by the sixth.

"This court has found sufficient material on record to frame charges against accused no.1 Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh for the offences under Section 354, 354A of Indian Penal Code regarding victims no. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5,” Rajpoot said while pronouncing the order.

"This court has also found sufficient material on record to frame charges against accused no. 1 Brij Bhushan Singh for the offences under Section 506 Part 1 of IPC with respect to victims no.1 and 5," she said.

Charges should also be framed against the former assistant secretary of the Federation, Vinod Tomar, under Section 506, the court ordered.

The neat hearing in the case will be on May 21.

Brij Bhushan, who has been a six-time MP, found himself at the centre of a huge political storm since last year when sexual harassment charges were levelled against him and protesters had hit the streets led by Olympic medallists Sakshee Malikkh and Bajrang Punia, as well as Commonwealth Games and Asian Games medallist Vinesh Phogat.

Mallikh had also hung up her boots and said she was quitting wrestling after an aide of Brij Bhushan won the elections for the federation in December last year. The sports ministry later suspended the new managing committee.

Brij Bhushan has consistently denied all the charges.

Earlier this month, the BJP nomination of his son as the candidate for the Kaiserganj seat led to massive backlash from the opposition and Mallikh.