Former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief and former BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh was acquitted on Monday in the sexual harassment case filed by several female wrestlers, marking a major legal setback for some of India's top athletes who had led nationwide protests against him.
Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Ashwini Panwar of the Rouse Avenue Courts pronounced the verdict, acquitting both Brij Bhushan and co-accused Vinod Tomar, the former assistant secretary of the WFI, of all charges.
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The verdict was met with disappointment from Olympic wrestler Vinesh Phogat and Commonwealth Games gold medallist Bajrang Punia, who said the women wrestlers would challenge the acquittal before a higher court.
In a joint statement issued shortly after the judgment, Vinesh and Bajrang said the athletes had endured significant hardship since launching their protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar in early 2023.
"We had to gather a lot of courage to take to the streets and get an FIR registered against a powerful politician of the ruling party. Using power and muscle power, Brij Bhushan intimidated many girls into withdrawing their names," the statement read.
"However, several women wrestlers stood firm and kept fighting against Brij Bhushan in court. We are deeply saddened that the court did not find Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh guilty of the sexual violence allegations made by the women wrestlers," the statement added.
Vinesh also alleged that the state machinery had worked in tandem to shield Brij Bhushan from the time the allegations first surfaced. Despite the trial court's ruling, she confirmed that the wrestlers' legal team had already been instructed to file an appeal against the verdict.
"From day one, the entire state machinery, the government, and this system have been working to protect Brij Bhushan," the statement further read.
"The women wrestlers have instructed their lawyers to appeal against this verdict, and it will be filed as soon as possible. We have not lost hope, and the wrestlers will continue their fight," the statement concluded.
Case Traces Back To 2023 Wrestlers' Protest
The case came out of protests by some of India's top wrestlers, including Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia, who demonstrated at Jantar Mantar in 2023 calling for the arrest of Brij Bhushan over allegations of sexual harassment over several years.
The Delhi Police registered two FIRs and filed a 1,500-page chargesheet in June 2023 after the Supreme Court intervened.
The charges included Sections 354 (assault or criminal force to outrage the modesty of a woman), 354A (sexual harassment), 354D (stalking) and 506(1) (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code.
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