New Delhi, August 3, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
A Delhi court on Monday acquitted former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and former WFI assistant secretary Vinod Tomar in the sexual harassment and criminal intimidation case filed by several women wrestlers, ruling that the prosecution had failed to prove the charges beyond reasonable doubt.
Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Ashwini Panwar of the Rouse Avenue Courts delivered the verdict after completion of the trial. The detailed judgment is awaited.
Vinod Tomar had been facing trial under Section 506 Part I of the Indian Penal Code in connection with allegations of criminal intimidation made by one of the complainants. Both accused had denied the allegations throughout the proceedings and pleaded not guilty.
The case originated in January 2023 when prominent wrestlers, including Olympians Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia, staged protests at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, accusing Brij Bhushan of sexual harassment and intimidation. The protests led to demands for his resignation from the WFI and calls for reforms within the federation.
Following complaints submitted to the Indian Olympic Association, an inquiry committee comprising eminent sportspersons was constituted. The Union Sports Ministry subsequently suspended the functioning of the WFI and sidelined Vinod Tomar during the controversy.
In May 2024, the trial court framed charges against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh on allegations relating to sexual harassment and outraging the modesty of five women wrestlers, while criminal proceedings continued despite a separate petition before the Delhi High Court seeking quashing of the FIR and chargesheet.
The present matter was separate from the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) case involving a minor wrestler. In May 2025, a Delhi court accepted the Delhi Police’s cancellation report in that case after investigators said they found no corroborative evidence, and the complainant and her father did not oppose the closure.
With Monday’s order, the trial arising from the complaints filed by the women wrestlers has concluded with the acquittal of both Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and Vinod Tomar.
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