New Delhi, October 28, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
A Delhi court on Wednesday granted former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh a final opportunity to respond to an appeal filed by four women wrestlers challenging his acquittal in a sexual harassment case.
The Rouse Avenue Courts directed Singh to submit his response within one week, making it clear that no further extension would be granted for filing the reply.
The appeal challenges the trial court’s decision to acquit Singh and former WFI assistant secretary Vinod Tomar. The women wrestlers have argued that the judgment was legally unsustainable and that the evidence on record was not properly assessed.
The appeal also contests Tomar’s acquittal on a charge of criminal intimidation under Section 506 Part I of the Indian Penal Code, brought by one of the complainants.
The court had issued notices to Singh and Tomar on September 28, seeking their responses. At a subsequent hearing on October 9, the respondents were granted additional time, with October 28 fixed for further proceedings.
On August 3, Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Ashwini Panwar acquitted both men, holding that the prosecution had failed to prove the charges beyond reasonable doubt.
The case stems from protests launched by wrestlers in January 2023 at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar. Prominent athletes, including Olympians Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia, accused Singh of sexual harassment and intimidation and demanded his resignation as WFI chief.
The controversy led to an inquiry committee being constituted following a complaint to Indian Olympic Association president P.T. Usha. The Union Sports Ministry subsequently suspended the functioning of the WFI.
In May 2024, the court framed charges against Singh over allegations involving sexual harassment and outraging the modesty of five women wrestlers. Singh denied the allegations and chose to face trial.
The present appeal is separate from a POCSO case arising from a complaint by a minor wrestler. In May 2025, a Delhi court accepted the police cancellation report after investigators said they had found no corroborative evidence supporting the allegations.
Following the acquittal, Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia expressed disappointment and said the verdict would be challenged. Singh welcomed the decision, describing it as a “victory of the junior players”.
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