A Delhi court has acquitted former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and former WFI assistant secretary Vinod Tomar in the sexual harassment case filed by six women wrestlers. Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) Ashwini Panwar of the Rouse Avenue Court delivered the verdict on Monday, nearly two years after the trial began.
The case stemmed from allegations made by six women wrestlers, following which Delhi Police filed a chargesheet against Singh and Tomar in 2023. The court had reserved its verdict on July 2 before pronouncing the judgment on Monday.
What Was The Case About?
The case began after several prominent women wrestlers staged protests at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar in January 2023. The wrestlers accused Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh of sexually harassing multiple female athletes over several years and demanded his arrest and removal from the Wrestling Federation of India. Following the allegations, Singh was removed as WFI chief, while Vinod Tomar was also suspended.
After the protests resumed in April 2023, the Supreme Court intervened, leading Delhi Police to register two FIRs on April 28, 2023. One FIR was based on complaints made by six adult women wrestlers against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and Vinod Tomar. A separate FIR was registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act based on allegations made by a minor wrestler. The alleged incidents were said to have taken place between 2012 and 2022.
What Happened In The POCSO Case?
The POCSO case was closed in May last year after the complainant, who had become an adult by then, withdrew her allegations. Earlier, Delhi Police had filed a closure report, stating that its investigation did not find sufficient evidence to support the charges. Delhi Police filed a chargesheet in June 2023, saying there was enough evidence to prosecute the accused. The court formally framed charges in May 2024, after which both Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and Vinod Tomar pleaded not guilty. The in-camera trial began in July 2024. During the proceedings, the prosecution examined 32 witnesses, including the six complainants, officials from the Wrestling Federation of India, and Sports Authority of India (SAI).
The prosecution argued that the witnesses supported the allegations made by the women wrestlers and maintained there was sufficient evidence against the accused. The defence denied all allegations, describing them as politically motivated and claiming they were aimed at removing Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh from the WFI president’s post. The defence also questioned changes in the testimonies of the complainants during the trial.
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