BJP MP and wrestling chief cleared, six athletes to appeal

By Caleb Reed · 2026-08-04

The verdict and what the magistrate found

Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Ashwini Panwar acquitted Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, former president of the Wrestling Federation of India, and former WFI assistant secretary Vinod Tomar on 3 August 2026, ruling that the prosecution had not proved the sexual harassment charges filed against them.^[1] The judgment was handed down at Rouse Avenue Courts in New Delhi, the same court that reserved the verdict on 2 July 2026 after hearing final arguments from prosecution, complainants and defence counsel.

Panwar framed charges under IPC Sections 354, 354A and 506 against Singh in five of the six complaints, and framed a Section 506 charge against Tomar, while discharging Singh on the sixth complaint at the charge-framing stage on 10 May 2024.^[1] An acquittal on those charges means the prosecution did not meet the standard of proof required for a conviction; it carries no finding that the complaints were fabricated or false.

The complainants' legal team announced they would appeal the verdict, preserving the matter for a higher court to examine. The appeal path under Indian criminal procedure runs to the Sessions Court.

From Jantar Mantar to Rouse Avenue: the timeline

The case has its roots in January 2023, when a group of India's most decorated wrestlers staged a sit-in at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. Olympians Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia were among those who publicly accused Singh and associates of sexual harassment dating back to 2012, demanding the federation be disbanded and Singh arrested.^[2] The protest drew sustained national attention and put pressure on India's sports and law enforcement bodies to act.

On 28 April 2023, following Supreme Court intervention, the Delhi Police registered two separate FIRs against Singh: one under IPC Sections 354, 354A, 354D and 506(1) based on the complaints of six adult women wrestlers, and a second under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act for allegations brought by a minor wrestler.^[2] The Supreme Court's role in compelling the police to register the FIRs marked how far the matter had escalated.

Delhi Police filed the chargesheet on 15 June 2023, naming both Singh and Tomar.^[1] Rouse Avenue Court granted both accused bail on personal bonds of ₹25,000 each on 20 July 2023, and the case proceeded through a trial conducted largely in camera.

The charges, the trial and the evidence examined

The chargesheet ran to nearly 1,500 pages, and 32 witnesses were examined during the trial, among them the six adult complainants along with officials from the Wrestling Federation of India and the Sports Authority of India.^[2] Proceedings were held in camera at Rouse Avenue Courts, closed to the public and press in line with standard practice for cases involving sexual offences.

The IPC sections at the heart of the case covered a range of conduct. Section 354 addresses assault or criminal force against a woman with intent to outrage her modesty; Section 354A covers sexual harassment; Section 354D covers stalking; Section 506 covers criminal intimidation.^[1] At charge framing, ACJM Panwar dropped the stalking charge from the complaints that went to trial.

Final arguments concluded by 2 July 2026, at which point the court set an August date for the verdict. The volume of material and the number of witnesses placed the case at the more complex end of the magistrate court's caseload.

What Vinesh Phogat said

Vinesh Phogat, one of India's most prominent wrestlers and a two-time Olympian, stepped forward publicly while her own testimony was still running. "I did not want to speak while the case is still pending, but I want to say that I myself am one of those six victims who filed a complaint, and our testimonies are still ongoing," Phogat said.^[3] The statement settled any uncertainty about her role in the proceedings.

Phogat also directed pointed criticism at the administration of Indian wrestling. "Even today, Brij Bhushan says that he runs the wrestling federation. He says this in front of the whole country. But still, the sports ministry or the government does not take any action," she said.^[3] Her remarks pointed to a broader concern among the complainants that the legal process was running in parallel with the governance of the sport continuing largely undisturbed.

Sakshi Malik, who won bronze at the 2016 Rio Olympics, and Bajrang Punia, a Commonwealth and Asian Games medallist, also lent their public profiles to the Jantar Mantar protest, which was unusual in the Indian sporting context for the seniority of the athletes involved.^[2]

What happens next: the appeal and the legal path forward

The complainants' legal team confirmed they would challenge the acquittal. Under Indian criminal procedure, an acquittal by a magistrate court can be appealed to the Sessions Court by either the complainants or the state; if Delhi Police also files an appeal, the two proceedings can run concurrently.

The POCSO matter, which involved allegations from a minor wrestler and was lodged as a separate FIR, was not part of the August verdict.^[2] Its progress through the court system remains separate from the magistrate's judgment on the adult complainants' charges.

Six adult women athletes and a minor went on record against the head of a national sporting federation while Singh was also a sitting member of parliament; the Delhi Police registered FIRs only after the Supreme Court stepped in.^[1] The complainants' appeal is expected to be filed with the Sessions Court in the coming weeks.

Caleb Reed

Caleb Reed covers breaking news and sport. He works to the rhythm of a story as it unfolds, and he is happiest when the facts arrive faster than anyone can spin them.