Brij Bhushan acquitted in wrestlers’ harassment case

A Delhi trial court on August 3 acquitted former Wrestling Federation of India president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh of all charges in a sexual harassment case brought by six women wrestlers. Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Ashwani Panwar also acquitted former WFI assistant secretary Vinod Tomar. The court held that the prosecution failed to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt.

The case dates back to January 2023, when top wrestlers including Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia protested at Jantar Mantar accusing Singh of harassment. After a Supreme Court direction, Delhi Police registered two FIRs in April 2023. A separate POCSO case involving a minor complainant was closed in May 2025 after she withdrew her allegations.

Two of the six complainants turned hostile during trial, saying they were pressured into making allegations. The 239-page judgment described the case as part of a "deep conspiracy" that seemed "politically motivated." The court pointed to discrepancies in dates and locations as fatal to the prosecution, though the source notes this reasoning has drawn scrutiny for how it treated witness testimony.