3 weeks ago
Delhi court acquits ex-WFI chief Brij Bhushan in harassment case
Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh used to be the head of the Wrestling Federation of India, the organization that runs wrestling in India.
Some women wrestlers said he behaved badly toward them, so a police case was filed.
The case went to a court in Delhi, where a judge named Ashwini Panwar heard it.
In the end, the judge said Mr. Singh was not guilty because there was not enough proof.
The judge said the wrestlers' stories did not match each other.
For example, one version said an incident happened in Turkey in 2015, while another said it happened in Mongolia in 2016.
Two of the wrestlers who made accusations later said they were forced or pressured into giving their statements.
The judge also said the wrestlers stayed friendly with Mr. Singh for years and even invited him to family events.
So the judge freed Mr. Singh and another official, Vinod Tomar.
One of the wrestlers, Vinesh Phogat, said they are unhappy with the decision and will appeal, saying the system was trying to protect Mr. Singh.
A Delhi court acquitted former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief and ex-BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and former WFI assistant secretary Vinod Tomar of all sexual harassment charges.
Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Ashwini Panwar called the allegations 'false and fabricated,' made in a 'deep conspiracy which seems to be politically motivated.'
The court cited 'material contradictions,' including one alleged incident placed in Turkey in 2015 in one statement and in Mongolia in 2016 in another, calling the shift 'fatal to the prosecution story.'
Two of the five complainants on whose statements charges were framed said they were 'forced/pressured' into levelling allegations, and two prosecution witnesses turned hostile.
Complainant Vinesh Phogat said the wrestlers are disappointed and will appeal, alleging that 'the entire system, the government, and this establishment were all trying to protect Brij Bhushan.'
- Who
- Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief and former BJP MP, and Vinod Tomar, former WFI assistant secretary, were the accused. The complainants were six women wrestlers, including Vinesh Phogat, and the verdict was delivered by Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Ashwini Panwar.
- What
- Both men were acquitted of all sexual harassment charges after the court found the allegations 'false and fabricated,' made in a 'deep conspiracy which seems to be politically motivated.'
- Where
- At the Rouse Avenue Courts in Delhi, before Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Ashwini Panwar.
- When
- The verdict was delivered on August 3, about two years after the trial began, and the order was given to counsel on August 10; the complaints had been filed with police on April 21, 2023.
- Why
- The court cited 'material contradictions,' including the wrong country and year for the alleged first incident, the lack of contemporaneous complaints, witnesses who retracted their statements, and the complainants' maintained 'cordial relations' with Singh, creating 'more than sufficient reasonable doubt.'
Complainant wrestlers
Court ruling and defense
Nature of the allegations
Complainant wrestlers
Six women wrestlers, including Vinesh Phogat, accused Singh of sexual harassment and intimidation, and formal complaints were filed with police on April 21, 2023, after protests by wrestlers including Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia in January 2023.
Court ruling and defense
The court called the allegations 'false and fabricated,' made in a 'deep conspiracy which seems to be politically motivated,' allegedly hatched by coaches of the Mahadev Academy and two prosecution witnesses.
Consistency of witness accounts
Complainant wrestlers
The complainants described harassment incidents, including one said to have occurred in full public view in a restaurant where many sportspersons, coaches and relatives were present, repeated three to four times.
Court ruling and defense
The court cited 'material contradictions,' such as one statement placing the first incident in Turkey in 2015 and a later version in Mongolia in 2016, saying the accounts 'seem rehearsed and well-practised as well as planned.'
Silence and witness credibility
Complainant wrestlers
The wrestlers said they did not complain in a timely manner because they feared Singh, as WFI president, could spoil their careers, and they plan to appeal against the acquittal.
Court ruling and defense
The court found it 'not understandable' that the victims maintained 'cordial relations' with Singh for years, invited him to family functions and weddings, and that nobody made a formal complaint, making the alleged acts 'highly improbable.'
Key facts
- Defendants
- Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, former WFI chief and former BJP MP; Vinod Tomar, former WFI assistant secretary
- Verdict
- Acquitted of all charges for lack of evidence
- Verdict date
- August 3; order given to counsel on August 10
- Presiding judge
- Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Ashwini Panwar, Rouse Avenue Courts, Delhi
- Court's key finding
- Allegations 'false and fabricated,' made in a 'deep conspiracy which seems to be politically motivated'
- Charges
- IPC Sections 354, 354A and 506(1) against Singh; Section 506(1) against Tomar
- Complainants
- Six women wrestlers, including Vinesh Phogat; two of the five on whose statements charges were framed did not support the case
- Key timeline
- Complaints filed April 21, 2023; FIR registered April 28, 2023; 1,500-page chargesheet filed June 15, 2023; charges framed in May 2024; 32 prosecution witnesses examined
Quotes
Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Ashwini Panwar
Judge who delivered the acquittal judgment
“I have no hitch in saying that the version given by the victims… discredits the prosecution case completely and also shows that the entire allegations are false and fabricated, made against the accused persons in a deep conspiracy which seems to be politically motivated.”
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“The allegations appear to be imperfect to be true, seem rehearsed and well-practised as well as planned, more so when the complaints have been filed after a long period of time.”
livemint.com
Sources
Sexual harassment allegations against Brij Bhushan were ‘politically motivated’: Delhi court
Ex WFI chief case: Court calls it politically motivated, says two wrestlers testified allegations made under pressure
Victims gave ‘wrong’ details, ‘fatal’ to prosecution case: Court while acquitting Brij Bhushan
Brij Bhushan case: Court cites ‘material contradictions’, calls allegations ‘rehearsed and planned’
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