Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
Lawyers representing former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief and former BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh on Monday said the Delhi court’s acquittal order found that the prosecution had failed to prove the allegations levelled against him by six women wrestlers and highlighted what they described as serious inconsistencies in the case.
In a statement issued after the verdict, the defence team said the trial court did not acquit Singh merely because of isolated discrepancies in witness testimony. According to the lawyers, the court assessed the evidence in its entirety and took note of material contradictions between successive statements of witnesses, alleged improvements made at later stages, documentary evidence that was inconsistent with the dates and circumstances cited, lack of corroboration, and the absence of contemporaneous complaints.
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The defence lawyers said the court also examined issues relating to the identification of alleged places of occurrence, the conduct of purported eyewitnesses, and the fact that no complaints were made at the time despite the incidents allegedly being witnessed by or disclosed to several individuals.
Referring to portions of the judgment, the defence said the court observed that the allegations against the accused were “false and fabricated” and appeared to have been made as part of a “deep conspiracy” that seemed politically motivated. According to the lawyers, the court noted similarities in the allegations, the timing of the complaints and the circumstances in which they were made, which, in its view, indicated prior planning.
The defence further highlighted the court’s observations regarding two witnesses who later turned hostile. According to the lawyers, these witnesses stated during the trial that they had been asked by certain individuals, including wrestlers and coaches associated with Mahadev Academy, to falsely implicate Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. The witnesses allegedly claimed they were told that Singh’s continuation as WFI president would harm the prospects of wrestlers from Haryana and that removing him from the post was necessary.
The defence also pointed to the court’s findings regarding an allegation linked to the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta. According to the lawyers, the court noted that the allegation was not mentioned in an earlier affidavit submitted before the Oversight Committee and surfaced only later in the complaint. The court reportedly treated the omission as significant because the affidavits contained detailed accounts of other alleged incidents.
Citing the judgment, the defence said the court concluded that the prosecution had “miserably failed” to establish the allegations beyond reasonable doubt after considering witness depositions, documentary evidence and other material on record.
The Delhi court subsequently acquitted Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh of charges under Sections 354, 354A and 506 (Part I) of the Indian Penal Code. Co-accused Vinod Tomar was acquitted of the charge under Section 506 (Part I) of the IPC.
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SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
