Indian court acquits wrestling body ex-chief in sexual harassment case

An Indian court on Monday acquitted Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the former chief of India's wrestling federation, in a sexual harassment case brought by female wrestlers. The allegations, which surfaced three years ago, led to months of protests demanding criminal action against Singh.

The court had formally laid charges against Singh in 2024 concerning the alleged sexual harassment of five female wrestlers and the crime of outraging their modesty. Following the verdict, Singh stated, “I had complete faith that justice would be done ... justice was done. I never considered myself a criminal at all.”

Visuals showed people celebrating Singh's acquittal with garlands and sweets. However, prominent wrestlers like Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik, and Bajrang Punia, who were among hundreds who staged a sit-in demonstration in New Delhi in 2023, expressed their intent to appeal the decision.

Phogat announced on X that the wrestlers would "continue their fight" and "have not lost hope." Punia had previously returned one of India's highest civilian awards, and Malik had retired from the sport in protest against the handling of the allegations.

Singh was a senior lawmaker from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party when the allegations first emerged. He completed his term in 2024 and was not renominated by the party, which instead fielded his son for the same constituency, who subsequently won and became a lawmaker.