A Delhi court on Monday, September 28, 2026, issued a notice in response to an appeal filed by four women wrestlers against a magistrate’s verdict that acquitted former Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh in a sexual‑harassment case.
The criminal appeal, lodged on Friday, September 25, also contests the acquittal of former WFI assistant secretary Vinod Tomar on charges of criminal intimidation. Special Judge Dig Vinay Singh has sent notice to Singh, Tomar and the State, and the case has been scheduled for further proceedings on October 9, 2026.
The original magisterial ruling, delivered on August 3, 2026, cleared Mr. Singh—who is also a former BJP Member of Parliament—of the allegations brought by six women wrestlers, including world‑championship medallist Vinesh Phogat, citing a lack of evidence. The court likewise acquitted Mr. Tomar.
The wrestlers’ appeal argues that the acquittal was legally unsound, describing the judgment as a “manifestly erroneous and selective appreciation” of the evidence. They claim the court relied on conjecture, failed to apply established legal principles, and based its decision on archaic, stereotypical assumptions about victims of sexual assault rather than a fair, evidence‑based assessment of their circumstances.
