Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh Acquitted in Wrestlers' Harassment Case
Court Clears Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh of All Charges
File image of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. (Photo:@SM_8009/X)
New Delhi, Aug 3: Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the former president of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), expressed his joy following his acquittal in a sexual harassment case involving wrestlers. A Delhi court found him and former WFI assistant secretary Vinod Tomar not guilty of all charges.
The ruling was delivered by Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Ashwini Panwar at the Rouse Avenue Courts, effectively concluding a high-profile trial that arose from allegations made by six female wrestlers.
In response to the verdict, Singh stated that he would have respected the court's decision regardless of the outcome. "This is a moment of happiness for me and my supporters. Even if the court had found me guilty, I would have accepted its verdict," he remarked to the media outside the court.
When questioned about his previous assertions that the case was politically motivated, Singh chose not to elaborate further. "I don't want to say anything on this right now. I will only say that the court has honourably acquitted me. I had said on that day that I would hang myself if proven guilty, but that situation did not arise," he added.
The allegations date back to January 2023, when several well-known wrestlers, including Olympians Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik, and Bajrang Punia, staged a protest at Jantar Mantar, accusing Singh of sexual exploitation and intimidation.
The protesting athletes demanded Singh's resignation from the WFI and called for the federation's dissolution.
In response to a complaint made to the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president P.T. Usha, an inquiry committee was formed, including notable sportspersons like Mary Kom and Yogeshwar Dutt, to investigate the allegations.
Despite the serious accusations, the WFI denied all claims against Singh and its coaches.
During the controversy, the Union Sports Ministry suspended the WFI's operations and sidelined Vinod Tomar, who was serving as the federation's assistant secretary at the time.
The court had reserved its judgment on July 2 after hearing the final arguments. The defense team, comprising advocates Rajiv Mohan, Rishabh Bhati, and Rehan Khan, argued that the prosecution failed to prove the charges beyond a reasonable doubt.
With the court's decision on Monday, the trial stemming from the complaints of the six female wrestlers has concluded with the acquittal of both Singh and Tomar.