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Women Wrestlers Move Sessions Court Against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh's Acquittal in Sexual Harassment Case
Four women wrestlers have approached the in Delhi challenging the acquittal of former (WFI) chief and former BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh in a sexual harassment case. The appeal, which also contests the acquittal of co-accused Vinod Tomar, is set to be heard on Saturday, , by Special Judge Dig Vinay Singh. In their petition, the wrestlers argue that the trial court’s order is “” and rests on “” about how victims of sexual assault “should” behave.
The case, which sparked nationwide protests in 2023, involved allegations by six women wrestlers that Singh sexually harassed them between and at the WFI office, his official residence, and during international tours. After a trial spanning over three years and 127 hearings, Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Ashwini Panwar acquitted Singh of charges under Sections 354 (assault or criminal force to outrage modesty), 354A (sexual harassment), and 506(I) (criminal intimidation) of the (IPC). Tomar was acquitted of the criminal intimidation charge. The magistrate found the prosecution failed to prove its case , citing “significant inconsistencies” in the complainants’ accounts regarding dates, years, and locations.
The appeal now before the sessions court contends that the trial court fixated on minor slips—such as a complainant mentioning the wrong country and year for an alleged incident—while ignoring the broader, corroborated narrative. The wrestlers assert that the order “proceeds on ” and fails to apply well-settled principles of law. They specifically argue that the magistrate applied an “” standard, penalizing the complainants for not reporting immediately and for maintaining cordial relations with Singh out of fear for their careers. The petition notes that all victims deposed that they delayed complaints because they feared losing their livelihoods as athletes under Singh’s control.
The trial court had observed that two of the five complainant wrestlers stated they were “forced/pressured” to level allegations, and that their testimonies indicated the accusations were “politically motivated, false and fabricated, made collectively in a deep conspiracy.” It further noted that Singh was invited to family functions and weddings by the victims, which it found inconsistent with allegations of harassment. The wrestlers counter that such reasoning disregards the power dynamics inherent in the relationship between a powerful federation chief and young athletes dependent on him for selection and sponsorship.
The case gained international attention in early 2023 when Olympians Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik, and Bajrang Punia, among others, held a months-long sit-in at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. The protests led to the formation of an oversight committee by the , and after the ’s intervention, the registered an FIR in . A chargesheet exceeding 1,000 pages was filed in , and charges were framed in . A separate case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, filed by a minor wrestler, was closed after the complainant withdrew her allegations and a was accepted by the court in .
Legal experts following the case note that the appeal raises critical questions about judicial treatment of sexual harassment evidence. The wrestlers’ reliance on the “” argument echoes evolving jurisprudence on . Courts in India have increasingly cautioned against expecting “ideal” victim behavior—immediate reporting, severing ties with the accused, or perfect recall of traumatic events. The , in several rulings, has held that delayed reporting in sexual offences is often the norm due to fear, shame, and power imbalances.
The sessions court’s hearing on Saturday will determine whether the appeal is admitted for detailed consideration. If admitted, the court may stay the acquittal and re-examine the evidence. Alternatively, it could dismiss the appeal summarily if it finds no . The wrestlers are represented by senior advocate , while Singh is represented by advocate .
The outcome of this appeal will be closely watched by the legal community, particularly in the context of sexual harassment cases involving powerful figures. A ruling that faults the trial court’s reasoning could set a precedent for how lower courts assess credibility in such cases, emphasizing contextual analysis over rigid stereotypes. For now, the wrestlers have made clear that their legal battle is far from over, stating after the acquittal that they would pursue the matter in higher courts.
As the Rouse Avenue court prepares to hear the arguments, the case stands as a significant test of whether appellate courts will push back against what the appellants describe as a judgment rooted in “surmises and conjectures” rather than a fair, evidence-based assessment of the circumstances of the victims.
