Brij Bhushan Acquitted: Wrestlers Vow Appeal After Court's Verdict!

A Delhi court on Monday acquitted former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and former assistant secretary Vinod Tomar in a high-profile sexual harassment case. This verdict, delivered two years after the trial began, brings to a temporary close a case that saw some of India’s top women wrestlers engage in unprecedented street protests demanding justice.

Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Ashwini Panwar cleared both Singh and Tomar, citing insufficient evidence. Singh had been charged under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 354A (sexual harassment), and 506(1) (criminal intimidation). The detailed, nearly 260-page judgment is yet to be publicly released.

The acquittal has sparked strong reactions. World Championship medallist Vinesh Phogat, one of the petitioners and now a Congress legislator, expressed deep sadness on X, stating, “We are deeply saddened that the court did not find Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh guilty of the allegations of sexual violence made by the women wrestlers.” She further alleged that the administration and government had been involved in protecting Singh from the beginning. Phogat confirmed that the women wrestlers have instructed their lawyers to appeal the decision as soon as possible, emphasizing, “We have not lost hope, and the wrestlers will continue their fight.”

Conversely, WFI chief Sanjay Singh welcomed the verdict, calling the allegations “baseless” and lamenting the suffering caused to Indian wrestling. The additional public prosecutor, Manish Rawat, indicated plans to challenge the judgment before the appropriate court once a certified copy is received. The opposition has also weighed in, slamming the BJP following Singh’s acquittal, with many terming it as an exposure of the “true face” of the ruling party.

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