New Delhi, September 26, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
A Delhi court on Saturday adjourned to September 28 the hearing on an appeal filed by four women wrestlers challenging the acquittal of former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) President Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and former WFI Assistant Secretary Vinod Tomar in the alleged sexual harassment and intimidation case.
The appeal was listed before the Rouse Avenue Courts but could not be taken up due to the unavailability of Special Judge Dig Vinay Singh. The matter has now been listed for Monday.
The four wrestlers have challenged the trial court’s August 3 judgment acquitting Singh and Tomar after finding that the prosecution had failed to establish the charges beyond reasonable doubt.
In their appeal, the wrestlers have argued that the trial court’s judgment is not sustainable in law and that the evidence on record was incorrectly assessed. They have also sought to overturn Tomar’s acquittal on a criminal intimidation allegation under Section 506 Part I of the Indian Penal Code made by one of the complainants.
The case dates back to January 2023, when several wrestlers, including Olympians Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia, protested at Jantar Mantar and accused Brij Bhushan of sexual harassment and intimidation. They demanded his removal as WFI chief and sought the dissolution of the federation.
Following a complaint to Indian Olympic Association President P.T. Usha, an inquiry committee comprising sportspersons including Mary Kom and Yogeshwar Dutt was constituted. The WFI, however, denied the allegations against its then president and coaches.
The Union Sports Ministry subsequently suspended the functioning of the WFI and sidelined Tomar amid the controversy. In May 2024, the Rouse Avenue Court framed charges against Singh and Tomar after finding sufficient material to proceed against them.
Singh had pleaded not guilty and maintained that he was innocent. He had also approached the Delhi High Court seeking quashing of the FIR, chargesheet and criminal proceedings.
The present proceedings are separate from the POCSO case involving a minor wrestler. In May 2025, a Delhi court accepted the Delhi Police’s cancellation report in that case after the police said it had found no corroborative evidence supporting the allegations. The complainant and her father had not opposed the cancellation report.
Following the acquittal, Phogat and Punia had expressed disappointment and said the wrestlers would challenge the verdict in a higher court. Singh, meanwhile, welcomed the acquittal and described it as a victory for junior players.
FOLLOW NOW
