GUWAHATI: A Delhi court on Monday, August 3, acquitted former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh in the sexual harassment case filed by six women wrestlers, bringing to a close one of the most high-profile legal battles in Indian sport.
Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Ashwani Panwar of the Rouse Avenue Court pronounced the verdict nearly three years after a chargesheet was filed against Singh. The trial had commenced in July 2024, with the court reserving its judgment for August 3.
The court also acquitted co-accused Vinod Tomar in the case.
The case arose from allegations made by six women wrestlers, including Olympian Vinesh Phogat, who accused Singh of sexually harassing them during his tenure as WFI chief. Singh had consistently denied all allegations.
The accusations triggered nationwide protests in 2023, with Olympic medallists and leading wrestlers, including Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia, staging a prolonged sit-in at Delhi's Jantar Mantar demanding Singh's arrest and removal from the federation.
The protests drew international attention after Delhi Police detained several of the wrestlers during their march towards the new Parliament building, prompting criticism from sporting bodies and rights groups.
Singh, a former BJP MP, had earlier been cleared in a separate case involving allegations by a minor wrestler after a Delhi court accepted a police closure report recommending cancellation of the case.
With Monday's judgment, the criminal proceedings in the case involving the six adult wrestlers have concluded, for now, marking the end of a case that significantly shaped discussions around athlete safety, accountability and governance in Indian wrestling over the past three years.