A Delhi court on Monday acquitted former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president and former BJP Member of Parliament Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh in the criminal case arising from allegations of sexual harassment levelled by six women wrestlers.
Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Ashwini Panwar of the Rouse Avenue Courts pronounced the verdict. Co-accused and former WFI Assistant Secretary Vinod Tomar was also acquitted in the proceedings.
The case had its origins in complaints by six adult women wrestlers alleging that Singh had subjected them to sexual harassment and intimidation over a period of several years. The allegations related to incidents between 2012 and 2022 and formed the basis of the criminal proceedings before the Delhi court.
The Delhi Police had filed a chargesheet against Singh in June 2023, invoking provisions of the Indian Penal Code, including Sections 354, 354A, 354D and 506, concerning assault or criminal force with intent to outrage a woman’s modesty, sexual harassment, stalking and criminal intimidation. Proceedings against Tomar included allegations relating to criminal intimidation.
In May 2024, the trial court had found sufficient prima facie material to proceed against Singh on allegations made by five of the complainants and framed charges under Sections 354, 354A and 506 of the IPC. Singh had, however, been discharged in relation to the allegations made by the sixth complainant. The court had also framed a charge of criminal intimidation against Tomar in relation to one complainant while discharging him from the other allegations.
The trial was conducted in camera in accordance with the sensitive nature of the allegations. During the proceedings, the prosecution examined 32 witnesses, including the complainant wrestlers and officials associated with the WFI and the Sports Authority of India.
The prosecution had maintained that the testimony of the complainants was supported by the evidence brought on record during the trial. The defence, on the other hand, denied the allegations and challenged the prosecution case, including aspects of the complainants’ statements and the circumstances surrounding the alleged incidents.
The matter came before the criminal court against the backdrop of the high-profile protests by prominent Indian wrestlers in 2023. The wrestlers had publicly accused Singh, who was then WFI chief, of sexual harassment and demanded action against him. The protests at Jantar Mantar eventually led to significant public and institutional scrutiny of the allegations.
Following intervention by the Supreme Court, the Delhi Police registered two FIRs on April 28, 2023. One concerned the allegations made by the six adult wrestlers and resulted in the present criminal proceedings. A separate FIR had been registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act concerning allegations by a minor wrestler.
The POCSO proceedings were subsequently closed after the minor complainant, who had by then attained adulthood, withdrew her allegations and the Delhi Police filed a closure report citing lack of corroborative evidence.
The present case proceeded to trial after the court took cognisance of the chargesheet and framed charges against Singh and Tomar in 2024. Both accused had remained on bail during the trial.
The final arguments in the case were concluded in July 2026, following which the Rouse Avenue Court had reserved its judgment for August 3. The proceedings were conducted in camera, and media access to the courtroom was restricted on the day of pronouncement.
Following the verdict, Singh’s lawyers described the acquittal as an “honourable acquittal”.
The acquittal brings the criminal trial arising from the complaints of the six adult women wrestlers to its conclusion at the trial-court stage.
A Delhi court has acquitted former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president and former BJP Member of Parliament Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh in the criminal case arising from allegations of sexual harassment levelled by six women wrestlers.
Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Ashwini Panwar of the Rouse Avenue Courts pronounced the verdict. Co-accused and former WFI Assistant Secretary Vinod Tomar was also acquitted in the proceedings.
The case had its origins in complaints by six adult women wrestlers alleging that Singh had subjected them to sexual harassment and intimidation over a period of several years. The allegations related to incidents between 2012 and 2022 and formed the basis of the criminal proceedings before the Delhi court.
The Delhi Police had filed a chargesheet against Singh in June 2023, invoking provisions of the Indian Penal Code, including Sections 354, 354A, 354D and 506, concerning assault or criminal force with intent to outrage a woman’s modesty, sexual harassment, stalking and criminal intimidation. Proceedings against Tomar included allegations relating to criminal intimidation.
In May 2024, the trial court had found sufficient prima facie material to proceed against Singh on allegations made by five of the complainants and framed charges under Sections 354, 354A and 506 of the IPC. Singh had, however, been discharged in relation to the allegations made by the sixth complainant. The court had also framed a charge of criminal intimidation against Tomar in relation to one complainant while discharging him from the other allegations.
The trial was conducted in camera in accordance with the sensitive nature of the allegations. During the proceedings, the prosecution examined 32 witnesses, including the complainant wrestlers and officials associated with the WFI and the Sports Authority of India.
The prosecution had maintained that the testimony of the complainants was supported by the evidence brought on record during the trial. The defence, on the other hand, denied the allegations and challenged the prosecution case, including aspects of the complainants’ statements and the circumstances surrounding the alleged incidents.
The matter came before the criminal court against the backdrop of the high-profile protests by prominent Indian wrestlers in 2023. The wrestlers had publicly accused Singh, who was then WFI chief, of sexual harassment and demanded action against him. The protests at Jantar Mantar eventually led to significant public and institutional scrutiny of the allegations.
Following intervention by the Supreme Court, the Delhi Police registered two FIRs on April 28, 2023. One concerned the allegations made by the six adult wrestlers and resulted in the present criminal proceedings. A separate FIR had been registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act concerning allegations by a minor wrestler.
The POCSO proceedings were subsequently closed after the minor complainant, who had by then attained adulthood, withdrew her allegations and the Delhi Police filed a closure report citing lack of corroborative evidence.
The present case proceeded to trial after the court took cognisance of the chargesheet and framed charges against Singh and Tomar in 2024. Both accused had remained on bail during the trial.
The final arguments in the case were concluded in July 2026, following which the Rouse Avenue Court had reserved its judgment for August 3. The proceedings were conducted in camera, and media access to the courtroom was restricted on the day of pronouncement.
Following the verdict, Singh’s lawyers described the acquittal as an “honourable acquittal”.
The acquittal brings the criminal trial arising from the complaints of the six adult women wrestlers to its conclusion at the trial-court stage.
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