Now Reading: Brij Bhushan gets final chance to reply in wrestlers’ acquittal appeal
-
01
Brij Bhushan gets final chance to reply in wrestlers’ acquittal appeal
The Story in Brief
A Delhi court on Wednesday gave former Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh a final opportunity to reply to an appeal challenging his acquittal in the women wrestlers’ sexual harassment case. Special Judge Dig Vinay Singh at Rouse Avenue court directed the defence to file its response after the counsel sought a week’s time, and listed the matter for hearing on November 20.
Four women wrestlers have challenged the August 3 acquittal of Singh and former WFI official Vinod Tomar by Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Ashwani Panwar. The appeal argues the acquittal is legally unsustainable and rests on an ‘erroneous and selective appreciation of the evidence’, including what it calls ‘archaic and stereotypical assumptions’ about how victims of sexual assault are expected to behave. The court had issued notices to Singh and Tomar on September 28, and directed that the original affidavit with complainants' names be kept in a sealed envelope.
Update, 28 October 2026: NDTV and LiveLaw now also report the court's final-opportunity direction. LiveLaw adds that the ACJM had cited victims' prolonged silence and continued cordial relations with the accused as reasons for the acquittal. The hearing remains listed for November 20.
Indian Opinion Analysis
All four outlets report the same core event: Special Judge Dig Vinay Singh granted Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh a final opportunity to reply to the wrestlers' appeal against his acquittal, and listed the matter for November 20. Open-the-magazine and Kalinga TV provide the fullest account, including the prosecution's position and the sealed-envelope direction. NDTV offers a shorter version. LiveLaw uniquely details the ACJM's reasoning for the acquittal, noting the court cited victims' prolonged silence and continued cordial relations with the accused. No outlet adopts a critical stance toward the court or the government, all report court proceedings neutrally. The differing depth of detail among sources is the main variation, not any editorial slant. The next concrete step is the November 20 hearing.
Coverage: 4 sources, 4 neutral
Sources (4): openthemagazine.com (neutral report), kalingatv.com (neutral report), ndtv.com (neutral report), livelaw.in (neutral report)
This brief was synthesised by AI from the 4 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry. Methodology and corrections.
