Key facts
- Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, former chief of India's wrestling federation, was acquitted of sexual harassment charges.
- The charges were related to allegations made by five female wrestlers.
An Indian court acquitted Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, former chief of India's wrestling federation, in a sexual harassment case filed by female wrestlers. The verdict came three years after allegations triggered protests demanding action against him.
The acquittal of a prominent sports official in a high-profile sexual harassment case, despite significant protests and planned appeals, highlights ongoing tensions between accusers and established power structures in India.
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.