Vinesh Phogat and other women wrestlers have decided to challenge in the Delhi High Court the verdict of the Rouse Avenue Court acquitting the former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and his co-accused Vinod Tomar of the high-profile sexual harassment charges levelled by some female wrestlers.
In a post on X, World Championships medallist Vinesh Phogat said the women wrestlers have not lost hope and have instructed their lawyers to appeal this decision. “The female wrestlers have instructed their lawyers to appeal this decision, and this will be done as soon as possible. We have not lost hope, and the wrestlers will continue their fight,” her post in X said.
Earlier in the day, Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Ashwini Panwar ordered the acquittal of Singh alongside co-accused Vinod Tomar, former WFI assistant secretary from all sexual harassment charges. Releasing a statement shortly after the verdict, Vinesh Phogat talked about how the system was protecting Brij Bhushan and how the various female wrestlers have instructed their legal team to file an appeal.
“We had to gather a lot of courage to take to the streets and get an FIR registered against a powerful politician of the ruling party. Using power and muscle power, Brij Bhushan intimidated many girls into withdrawing their names. However, several women wrestlers stood firm and kept fighting against Brij Bhushan in court. We are deeply saddened that the court did not find Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh guilty of the sexual violence allegations made by the women wrestlers. From day one, the entire state machinery, the government, and this system have been working to protect Brij Bhushan,” Vinesh Phogat said in a statement.
The verdict of Brij Bhushan Singh’s acquittal marks a significant development in the controversy that began back in 2023. Delhi Police had filed a chargesheet against Brij Bhushan Singh back in June 2023 after completing their investigations into the allegations that came forth. Many prominent Indian wrestlers staged a protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar back then. In the statement, Vinesh Phogat revealed that the fight does not end with his acquittal and that the wrestlers have not lost hope, as they will file an appeal against the decision.
Several renowned wrestlers, including Sakshi Malik, Ms Phogat, Bajrang Punia, and Sangeeta Phogat had protested for months in New Delhi in 2023, demanding the arrest of the BJP leader for allegedly sexually harassing several women grapplers, including a minor. The complaint stated that the harassment took place between 2016 and 2019 at the WFI office, at Mr Singh’s official residence, and also during trips abroad.
Reacting to the court verdict, Mr Singh said he was “very happy” that the “truth prevailed” as he had predicting right from the day one. “It is a very sad time for them (wrestlers),” Singh said. “Only they can talk about their pain, not me. I am very happy and so are my people,” he said, refusing to be drawn into any conversation about the wrestlers.
The BJP leader pointed out that the court used the term “honourably acquitted”, suggesting “I told you so.” “The day the accusation was levelled against me, I had said that if the charge were proven, I would willingly hang myself; today, the court has acquitted me and used the term ‘honourably acquitted.’ What’s done is done,” the BJP leader said.
Earlier, Delhi Police had filed a 1500-page charge sheet on June 15, 2023, after completing its investigation into the allegations. Following a complaint to Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President PT Usha, an inquiry committee comprising eminent sportspersons, including Mary Kom and Yogeshwar Dutt, was constituted. However, the WFI denied all allegations against its then president and coaches. The Union Sports Ministry subsequently suspended the functioning of the WFI and sidelined then assistant secretary Vinod Tomar amid the controversy.
Under fire from the opposition and wary of the optics, Brij Bhushan was denied a ticket to defend Uttar Pradesh’s Kaiserganj Lok Sabha seat in 2024. The BJP, instead, fielded his son, Karan Bhushan Singh, who won the seat.