A Delhi court on Monday, August 3, acquitted former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president and former BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and former WFI assistant secretary Vinod Tomar in the sexual harassment case filed by six women wrestlers, bringing one of India’s most debated sports controversies to a close at the trial court level after nearly three years.
Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM) Ashwini Panwar of the Rouse Avenue Court held that the prosecution had failed to prove the charges beyond reasonable doubt, citing unexplained delays in filing complaints, material inconsistencies and contradictions in witness testimonies, and the post-incident conduct of the complainants.
Defence counsel Rajiv Mohan said the court had “honourably acquitted” both accused, though the detailed judgment is awaited. The case, which stemmed from allegations of sexual harassment between 2016 and 2019, had triggered nationwide protests led by Olympic and Commonwealth medallists including Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia and Sangeeta Phogat, eventually prompting Supreme Court intervention, police investigation and sweeping administrative changes in Indian wrestling.
While the trial court has acquitted the accused, the prosecution and complainants retain the legal option of challenging the verdict before the Delhi High Court after studying the detailed order.
Court Finds Insufficient Evidence
The judgment marks the culmination of a legal process that began after six women wrestlers accused Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh of sexually harassing them during his tenure as Wrestling Federation of India chief.
According to the FIRs and the nearly 1,000-page charge sheet filed by Delhi Police in 2023, the alleged incidents took place between 2016 and 2019 at the WFI office in Delhi, the former MP’s official residence, national training camps and overseas tournaments.
The women alleged inappropriate physical contact, unwanted advances, intimidation and abuse of authority. During the trial, the prosecution examined 32 witnesses, including all six complainants, while officials from the Wrestling Federation of India and the Sports Authority of India also deposed before the court.
However, the court concluded that the prosecution had failed to establish guilt beyond reasonable doubt. According to defence counsel Rajiv Mohan, the court noted that the complaints were filed after an unexplained delay, that witness testimonies contained significant contradictions on material facts, and that the complainants’ conduct after the alleged incidents weakened the prosecution’s case.
Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh had consistently denied all allegations throughout the proceedings, maintaining that he had been falsely implicated and that the investigation relied solely on the complainants’ statements without independent corroborative evidence.
The court also acquitted co-accused Vinod Tomar of all charges. The complete written judgment is expected to provide a more detailed explanation of the court’s reasoning and may shape the next legal steps in the case.
From Protest To Verdict
The allegations against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh first entered the national spotlight in January 2023 when some of India’s most decorated wrestlers launched an unprecedented protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, accusing the then Wrestling Federation chief of sexual harassment and demanding his arrest.
Olympic medallist Sakshi Malik, Olympic bronze medallist Bajrang Punia, Commonwealth Games champion Vinesh Phogat and wrestler Sangeeta Phogat became the public faces of the movement, drawing nationwide attention to concerns over athlete safety, accountability within sports federations and the treatment of women in Indian sport.
As the protests gained momentum, the Union Sports Ministry dissolved the WFI’s day-to-day functioning and constituted an oversight committee to examine the allegations. The Delhi Police initially did not register an FIR, prompting the wrestlers to approach the Supreme Court, which led to the registration of criminal cases in April and May 2023.
Delhi Police later filed a comprehensive charge sheet accusing Brij Bhushan of offences including sexual harassment, outraging the modesty of women and criminal intimidation, while Vinod Tomar was also named as a co-accused.
In May 2024, the trial court framed charges in most of the complaints, and the case proceeded through an in-camera trial over the next two years. Separately, a complaint filed by a minor wrestler under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act was closed after Delhi Police submitted a cancellation report stating that no corroborative evidence had been found, a report that was accepted by the court in 2025.
Although the trial court has now acquitted both accused in the adult wrestlers’ case, legal experts note that an acquittal at this stage does not necessarily end the matter, as the prosecution or complainants may challenge the verdict before the Delhi High Court.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
The Delhi court’s verdict closes one chapter in a case that profoundly shaped public conversations around gender, power, institutional accountability and athlete welfare in India. The acquittal underscores a foundational principle of criminal law that guilt must be established beyond reasonable doubt through legally admissible and credible evidence.
At the same time, the protests led by India’s leading wrestlers highlighted the difficulties many survivors say they face when reporting allegations against influential figures, as well as the importance of transparent institutional mechanisms that inspire confidence among athletes. Regardless of where one stands on the verdict, the case has already prompted wider conversations on safeguarding policies in sports, grievance redressal systems and the responsibilities of sporting bodies to ensure safe and inclusive environments for all athletes.
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