The Delhi High Court today sought clarification from the Delhi government on the need for an expedited hearing of former Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singhโs application to quash criminal proceedings against him. The proceedings relate to allegations of sexual harassment leveled by several wrestlers.
Justice Manoj Kumar Ohri raised the question during the session, querying, โWhat is the ground for the early hearing application? That one witness has been examined in the trial?โ The court has scheduled the next hearing for December 16, following acceptance of the notice by Delhi government Standing Counsel Sanjeev Bhandari.
Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, alongside former WFI assistant secretary Vinod Tomarโwho faces charges of intimidating a wrestlerโhas requested not only an early hearing but also a stay on the ongoing criminal trial until the high court decides on the quashing plea.
Singh has been formally charged by a Delhi court in May 2024, after being accused by six wrestlers of various offenses including sexual harassment, outraging modesty, stalking, and criminal intimidation under the Indian Penal Code. Similarly, Tomar has been charged with criminal intimidation connected to an incident involving a female wrestler.
The urgency in Singh’s recent plea for an early hearing stems from the pace of the ongoing trial, which features weekly hearings. Singh’s counsel, Rajiv Mohan, argued that by the initially scheduled date of January 13, 2025, the trial would have substantially progressed, potentially examining all crucial witnesses. This, Singh claims, would cause irreversible prejudice and mental distress, thus justifying the need for an expedited court review.
