India court details sexual harassment charges against former wrestling body chief

NEW DELHI - A Delhi court on May 10 informed the former chief of India’s wrestling federation, a powerful member of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party, about charges of sexual harassment and criminal intimidation against him.

Several Indian wrestlers came out in protest in 2023,

seeking criminal action against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, a well-known lawmaker from Mr Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), following complaints by female wrestlers.

Singh has denied any wrongdoing.

“I welcome the decision of the judiciary and now doors have opened for me... We will face this,” he told reporters after the court order.

Local media reported that a Delhi judge said “the court found sufficient material on record” to frame charges of sexual harassment of five female wrestlers and the offence of outraging their modesty.

Singh has been out on bail for nearly a year since police filed charges against him last June, prompted by a sit-in protest by some of the country’s top wrestlers.

Olympic medallist Bajrang Punia, who returned one of India’s highest civilian awards in 2023

in protest over the issue, called the court decision on May 10 a “big victory for the struggle of women wrestlers”.

Ms Sakshi Malik, an Olympic bronze medallist, said in a social media post: “We had to sleep on the streets for many nights in the heat and rain, had to give up our good careers, only then have we been able to take a few steps forward in the fight for justice.”

She quit the sport in 2023 after the wrestling federation elected a new president backed by Singh.

Despite the charges, Singh’s son Karan Bhushan Singh has been fielded as a BJP candidate in his father’s seat in India’s long general election. The older man had previously won the Kaiserganj seat in Uttar Pradesh state six times. REUTERS