A court’s decision to clear former wrestling chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh has reignited a case that divided India, with celebrated athletes insisting their fight for justice is far from over.
An Indian court has acquitted former Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh in a sexual harassment case that drew nationwide attention and sparked one of the country’s biggest sporting protests in recent years.
The case was brought three years ago by six female wrestlers, who accused Singh of sexually harassing them while he led the federation. Singh consistently denied the allegations throughout the legal proceedings.
The verdict, delivered by a district court on Monday, marks a major turning point in a case that dominated headlines in 2023 after some of India’s most decorated wrestlers staged weeks of protests in New Delhi. Images of Olympic medallists Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia, alongside world championship medallist Vinesh Phogat, being detained by police during a march to India’s new parliament building triggered widespread public debate.
Speaking after the ruling, Singh welcomed the decision and thanked his legal team.
“The day the accusation was levelled against me, I had said that if the charges were proven, I would willingly hang myself. Today, the court has acquitted me,” he told NDTV.
Supporters celebrated outside his Delhi residence, setting off fireworks and showering him with flower petals. His aide, Vinod Tomar, was also cleared of all charges.
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But the verdict has been met with disappointment by the wrestlers who led the campaign against him.
Vinesh Phogat, one of the most prominent faces of the protests, accused the authorities of protecting Singh from the beginning.
“From the first day, the entire administration, system and government were engaged in protecting him,” she wrote on X, adding that the wrestlers would challenge the ruling in a higher court.
The case also put Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government under pressure, with critics accusing it of failing to act quickly enough. The government denied those claims, insisting the legal process should be allowed to run its course.
Although Singh was later denied a BJP ticket in the 2024 general election, his son successfully contested and won the family’s parliamentary seat in Uttar Pradesh.
