A Delhi court docket has acquitted the previous Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) leader, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, in a long-running sexual harassment case introduced in opposition to him through six feminine wrestlers, drawing a as regards to probably the most contentious prison sagas in trendy Indian recreation.
Those accusations, which Singh denied on all events, got here to gentle for the primary time in January 2023 and resulted in months of protests through the athletes. A few of India’s best Olympians, similar to Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik, and Bajrang Punia, went on an indefinite sit-in protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi hard the arrest and ouster of Singh. Those protests won world-wide media consideration particularly after some athletes had been arrested through police whilst marching against the newly built Parliament development in Might 2023.
After lawsuits have been filed with the police in April 2023, adopted through the intervention of the Superb Courtroom, two First Data Experiences had been filed in opposition to Singh. Whilst one was once for the sexual harassment, stalking, and outraging the modesty fees filed through the six grown-up wrestlers, the opposite FIR was once filed at the foundation of the POCSO Act on account of the case of a minor wrestler. On the other hand, the case filed through the minor wrestler was once withdrawn as soon as the closure file was once filed through the police and licensed through the court docket in Might 2025.
The felony trial for the fees in opposition to Singh and the previous WFI assistant secretary Vinod Tomar was once initiated as soon as the court docket framed the fees similar to 6 grownup complainants in Might 2024. The prosecutors produced 32 witnesses and finished their case in Might 2026, and ended the argument on July 2.
Reacting to his acquittal on Monday, the previous Bharatiya Janata Birthday celebration MP reiterated that he had maintained his innocence all over the ordeal, describing the decision as an enormous reduction for himself and his supporters.
The verdict comes after months of renewed rigidity inside the recreation. Previous this yr, Phogat publicly printed that she was once one of the most six complainants, having in the past saved her id confidential in keeping with Superb Courtroom pointers protective survivors of sexual harassment. She had expressed ongoing issues referring to Singh’s persisted affect inside the wrestling frame, arguing that internet hosting variety tournaments at amenities connected to him threatened honest festival forward of upcoming world fixtures. Monday’s ruling successfully concludes the felony court cases that experience ruled Indian wrestling for over 3 years.
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