Brij Bhushan Singh acquitted; Phogat says wrestlers will appeal

Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the former head of the Wrestling Federation of India, has been acquitted by a New Delhi court of sexual harassment and stalking charges, his lawyer Rajiv Mohan said Monday.

Singh, 69, a former lawmaker from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party, had been accused by some women wrestlers of groping and demanding sexual favours. He denied the allegations.

Mohan said Singh had been “honourably acquitted” after the court found “inconsistencies” in witness statements and “contradiction on major issues”.

Vinesh Phogat, a world championship-winning wrestler who helped lead protests against Singh in 2023, said the wrestlers would appeal against the judgment to a higher court and “continue their fight” against him.

“It took a great deal of courage for us to take to the streets and get a complaint registered against a powerful leader of the ruling party,” Phogat said on X.

The case triggered weeks of demonstrations in 2023 by leading wrestlers, including Phogat and Olympic bronze medallist Sakshi Malik, who demanded Singh's removal as head of the federation.

Delhi police charged Singh in 2023 after months of pressure from protesting athletes. The demonstrations drew public attention, including when images of Phogat and other athletes being detained as they tried to march to parliament circulated widely on social media.

Singh's supporters set off firecrackers and showered him with flower petals after the ruling. Singh told reporters he was walking free after being acquitted.