Four Women Wrestlers Move Delhi Court Against Brij Bhushan Singh’s Acquittal in Sexual Harassment Case

Four women wrestlers have challenged the acquittal of former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and former WFI assistant secretary Vinod Tomar in an alleged sexual harassment and intimidation case.

The appeal was filed before the Rouse Avenue Court against the August 3 judgment of the trial court, which acquitted Brij Bhushan and Vinod after holding that the prosecution had failed to establish the charges beyond reasonable doubt.

The sessions court is likely to hear the appeal on Friday.

Wrestlers Challenge Trial Court Findings

In their appeal, the women wrestlers have argued that the trial court’s judgment is not sustainable in law and that the evidence was incorrectly assessed.

They have also challenged Tomar’s acquittal. He was facing trial under Section 506 Part I of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) over intimidation allegations made by one of the complainants.

On August 3, Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Ashwini Panwar of the Rouse Avenue Courts acquitted Singh and Tomar, finding that the prosecution had failed to prove the charges beyond reasonable doubt.

Case Dates Back To 2023 Wrestlers’ Protest

The case dates back to January 2023, when wrestlers, including Olympians Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia, began protesting at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, accusing Singh of sexual exploitation and intimidation.

The wrestlers demanded Singh’s resignation as WFI chief and called for the federation to be dissolved.

Following a complaint to Indian Olympic Association president P.T. Usha, an inquiry committee comprising sportspersons, including Mary Kom and Yogeshwar Dutt, was constituted.

The WFI, however, denied the allegations against its then president and coaches.

The Union Sports Ministry subsequently suspended the functioning of the WFI and sidelined Tomar amid the controversy.

Charges Framed Against Singh, Tomar

Criminal proceedings moved forward in May 2024 when the Rouse Avenue Court framed charges against Singh and Tomar.

The trial court had found sufficient material to proceed against Singh over allegations involving sexual harassment and outraging the modesty of five women wrestlers.

Singh pleaded not guilty and claimed trial, maintaining that he was innocent.

During the trial, he also approached the Delhi High Court seeking quashing of the FIR, chargesheet and criminal proceedings. The petition remained pending while the trial continued.

Separate POCSO Case

The present case is separate from a POCSO case filed by a minor wrestler against Singh.

In May 2025, a Delhi court accepted the Delhi Police’s cancellation report in that case after the investigating agency said it had found no corroborative evidence to support the allegations. The complainant and her father did not oppose the cancellation report.

Wrestlers Had Announced Legal Challenge

After Singh’s acquittal, Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia expressed disappointment and said the women wrestlers would challenge the verdict in a higher court.

In a statement, they said their legal battle was not over and that their legal team had been instructed to file an appeal.

Singh, meanwhile, welcomed the acquittal and described it as a “victory of the junior players”.

Speaking to IANS after the verdict, Singh said the case had shown that even Olympians and Olympic medallists could lie for their own interests.

Earlier, he had described the verdict as a “moment of happiness” for himself and his supporters and said he would have accepted the court’s decision even if he had been convicted.