Which court will hear minor wrestlers' plea for probe against WFI chief? Delhi HC seeks responses
May 30, 2023
New Delhi [India], May 30 : The Delhi High Court on Tuesday sought responses from the Registrar General of Delhi High Court and the Delhi government's Principal Secretary on a transfer plea seeking clarification that which court will deal with the minor wrestlers' plea for court-monitored investigation against the chief of Wrestling Federation of India, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
The bench of Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma on Tuesday issued notice to the respondents and sought their responses.
Senior Advocate Narendra Hooda appearing for the wrestlers/complainants apprised the court that the case is of minors and against an MP/MLA. The appropriate court for POCSO is in Patiala House Court and for designated MP/MLA it is Rouse Avenue Court. However, there is no court to deal with both and so we are here, Senior Advocate Narendra Hooda added.
Senior Advocate Hooda further prayed to the court that this court always has the jurisdiction to monitor it, till the time the administrative side takes a decision whether which court will deal with the concerned matters.
Last week, Delhi Police informed the Rouse court that the statement of victims of women wrestlers has been recorded. Delhi Police informed the court through a status report in an application filed by the wrestlers against MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
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.
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 the statement of the victim before the court. It has also sought direction to produce a status report on the investigation in the matter.
The copies of 2 FIRs were also filed in the court in a sealed cover.
On an earlier date, 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.
