Delhi Police in quandary over stand on Brij Bhushan's plea, asks court to decide as per law

Delhi Police in quandary over stand on Brij Bhushan's plea, asks court to decide as per law

In an interesting turn of events, Delhi Police on July 20 refrained from taking a decision on whether to oppose or support the bail application of outgoing WFI chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh before a city court in the case of sexual harassment of women wrestlers against him. Despite the judge's repeated query at to what was the probe agency's stand on the application, the public prosecutor, representing police, urged the court to "try the plea as per law".

"What is your stand? Are you opposing the application," the judge asked the prosecutor. Prosecutor Atul Srivastava then said, "Yes, your honour. Kindly pass the order as per law and the as per Supreme Court's judgements."

The court started dictating the order to court staff, in which he noted the opposition of the public prosecutor. The prosecutor, however, urged the judge not to write that he opposed, and pass the order "as per law".

"Are you opposing or not," the judge asked the prosecutor. "Neither. My submission is that pass the order as per law," the prosecutor replied. "Neither.

The judge again asked the prosecutor to answer in "yes or no". "Neither," the prosecutor said.

The judge then started dictating order to the court staff, "The public prosecutor says he is neither opposing nor supporting and that it should be dealt with as per the law." "And as per the Supreme Court judgements," the prosecutor urged the judge to add in the order.

"… And as per the Supreme Court judgements/orders/directions," the judge asked the court staff to add, and then asked the prosecutor, "anything else?" "That's all your honour," the prosecutor said.

A court later granted bail to Singh, along with suspended Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) assistant secretary Vinod Tomar.