New Delhi: Delhi Police on Saturday informed the Rouse Avenue court that the statements of victim women wrestlers have been recorded. Delhi Police informed the court through a status report in an application filed by the wrestlers against MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
On the last date of the hearing, the court had asked the Delhi Police to record the statement of all the victims before the court. Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Harjit Singh Jaspal directed the Delhi Police to supply both the status reports filed on May 12 and May 27 to the complainants.
The complainants were also directed to supply a copy of the application to the Delhi Police. The court has listed the matter for further hearing on June 27.
Special Public Prosecutor Atul Shrivastava appeared for Delhi Police and informed the court that statements of all victims under section 164 Cr.PC. have been recorded before a magistrate.
Advocate Anindiya Malhotra appeared on behalf of the complainants. He submitted that copies of status reports may be supplied to the complainants.
The court allowed the request and directed them to supply the copies to them. Delhi Police on May 12 filed a status report on the application moved by woman wrestlers in an alleged offence of sexual offence levelled against WFI Chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. The court was also informed that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed to investigate the matter.
The court had said that it shall decide upon the application once the statement before the court is recorded. APP Atul Srivastava had submitted that a detailed reply has been filed on the application. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has also been formed in the matter. The statement of one of the victims is to be recorded before the court today.
The court had asked police to give a copy of the report to the Defence counsel. The APP Shrivastava submitted that the report should not be shared as this is a matter of sexual harassment and it may hamper the investigation and may also disclose the identity of the victims.
The report should not be shared with anyone due to the confidentiality and sensitivity of the matter. The counsel for the victims had argued that the public prosecutor is merely trying to hamper the right of the victims and trying to put a veil on the investigation.
He also argued that the matter came to the notice of the police on April 21. The accused is disclosing the facts of the investigation in the media. How does he know what is happening in the investigation?
In the first part of the hearing, the court asked, "Do you want an in-camera proceeding?" The defence counsel replied in the affirmative.
The counsel for the wrestlers submitted that the police are hiding what is happening in the investigation of our case. On the last date of hearing the court had directed Delhi police to file a status report on the investigation in the matter.
Earlier, the Court had sought a status report from the Delhi police on the investigation in the FIRs lodged by the wrestlers against Singh. The plea moved by the woman wrestlers has sought monitoring of the investigation by the court, and direction for of the statement of the victim before the court. It has also sought direction to produce a status report on the investigation of the matter.
The copies of 2 FIRs were also filed in the court in a sealed cover. On the earlier date, Advocate S S Hooda, the counsel for the applicants submitted that the two FIRs have been lodged by the Delhi police in the matter on April 28.
Nothing has been done by the police to date. Police are not ready to conduct any inquiry. Not even the statement of the victims has been recorded before the court by the police, the counsel submitted. According to the Supreme Court mandate, the statement of the victim of sexual offences ought to be recorded before the court within 24 hours of lodging of FIR.
The applicant's counsel said that the statement was recorded by the police after 3 days of the FIR. It was alleged by the victims that one IPS officer, deputed to the Sports Ministry, made a call to the husband of one of the victims and asked him to settle the matter.
The counsel also alleged that another official of a State wrestling body also approached the coach and family of the victim to get the matter settled.
"That person said that the girls have made a mistake, you don't do it. Meet Neta ji, he will settle the matter," the counsel submitted. The counsel for the applicant asked what are the reasons for the inaction of the police.
Advocate Hooda had also submitted that there are three video clips of media channels in which the accused is disclosing the facts of the case. The counsel for the applicant also submitted that the name of the victim may be redacted from the cause list as this is a matter of sexual harassment. (ANI)
