The Rouse Avenue Court has acquitted former BJP MP Brij Bhushan Singh and Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) Assistant Secretary Vinod Tomar, stating that the sexual harassment accusations were fake and baseless.
While announcing the verdict, Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM) Ashwini Panwar observed: “We cannot ask women to dream big when we don’t give them the confidence that when they seek justice, the system will stand with them.”
“…The court also observed that the entire allegations against the accused are false and fabricated, made collectively at the instance of prosecution witnesses 5 and 10 and coaches of Mahadev Academy, in a deep conspiracy, which seems politically motivated,” the order said.
“It also observed that the allegations are uncommonly similar, made at the same time and at a common place with meticulous planning against the accused.”
The court took notice of the testimonies of two witnesses, which it said were similar and executed in a planned manner.
While releasing both accused, the court said that the prosecution had failed to prove its case beyond the allegations.
The order read that although ample time and reasonable grounds were given to the prosecution lawyer, after considering all documentary and other evidence and the depositions of the witnesses as well as other material on record, the trial court concluded that it had no hitch in holding that the prosecution had miserably failed to prove the allegations against the accused beyond reasonable doubt.
Accordingly, accused no. 1, Brij Bhushan, stands acquitted of all charges under Sections 354/354A/506 (Part-I) of the IPC, and accused no. 2, Tomar, is acquitted of the charge under Section 506 of the IPC.
The case had gained massive public and political traction in the country, with high-profile athletes taking to the streets and protesting against Brij Bhushan.
Brij Bhushan’s lead counsel Rajiv Mohan said the defence had sought to demonstrate that the allegations were false and that the witnesses had been tutored.
Also read: Brij Bhushan Singh gets clean chit in sexual harassment case
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