Delhi court acquits Brij Bhushan Singh in sexual harassment case filed by women wrestlers

A DELHI court acquitted on Monday former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh in the sexual harassment case lodged by six woman wrestlers against him in 2023.

Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM) Ashwini Panwar of the Rouse Avenue Courts passed the order of acquittal on Monday, Live Law reported.

The judge also acquitted co-accused Vinod Tomar in the case.

The verdict was reserved after hearing the prosecution, the complainants as well as the accused persons. The proceedings took place in camera.

After being acquitted by Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court in the sexual harassment case filed by six women wrestlers, Singh said, “The honourable judge said that Brij Bhushan Singh and Vinod Tomar are acquitted with honour.”

“From the very first day, I had said that if even a single allegation against me was proved, I would be ready to face the harshest punishment. Today, the court has acquitted us with honour and it is a matter of happiness for me,” Singh said.

Case against Brij Bhushan Singh

Bhushan Singh, a former BJP MP, was accused of sexually harassing women wrestlers. The alleged incidents of sexual harassment were said to have occurred between 2016 and 2019 at the WFI office, at Singh's official residence and also abroad, according to media reports.

Six women had complained against him in 2023. Massive protests were held at Jantar Mantar, Delhi, to demand action against Bhushan Singh.

A minor wrestler had also levelled allegations against Singh. However, she later withdrew her complaint, and the Delhi Police filed a cancellation report in that case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO Act). The case was subsequently closed.

The Delhi Police initially filed two FIRs against the former WFI president. While the first FIR related to allegations by the minor wrestler, the second was related to outraging modesty.

On June 15, 2023, police filed a chargesheet against Brij Bhushan Singh for offences under Sections 354 (outraging modesty), 354A (sexually coloured remarks), 354D (stalking) and 506(1) (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The trial court had, on May 10, 2024, framed charges of sexual harassment and outraging the modesty of women against Singh for harassing five women wrestlers. He was discharged in the allegations levelled by victim no. 6.

The Delhi Police filed the chargesheet under Sections 354 (outraging modesty of a woman), 354A(sexual harassment), 354D (stalking) and 506(1) (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 against Singh and Tomar.

Section 109 (abetment) of the IPC was additionally invoked against Tomar.

However, a cancellation report was filed in the POCSO case registered against Singh by a minor wrestler.

Singh is out on bail in the case, along with co-accused Vinod Tomar, who is the former assistant secretary of the Wrestling Federation of India.