Four women wrestlers have approached a Delhi court challenging the acquittal of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the former BJP MP and ex-chief of the Wrestling Federation of India, and co-accused Vinod Tomar in a sexual harassment case that has remained one of the most closely watched legal and sporting battles in recent years.
The appeal against the trial court's August 3, 2026 verdict is likely to come up on Saturday before Special Judge Dig Vinay Singh at Rouse Avenue Court. The wrestlers have asked the court to set aside the acquittal, arguing that the trial court failed to apply settled legal principles and instead leaned on "archaic and stereotypical assumptions" about how victims of sexual harassment and assault are expected to behave.
According to the source material, the trial court had cleared both accused last month, saying there were "significant" inconsistencies in the complainants' accounts about the dates, years and locations of the alleged incidents. The wrestlers' appeal contends that the court placed undue emphasis on those discrepancies while overlooking the larger body of evidence and the context in which the allegations emerged.
The case drew national attention in 2023 when prominent wrestlers, including Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia and Sangeeta Phogat, staged prolonged protests in New Delhi demanding Singh's arrest over allegations of sexual harassment involving several women wrestlers, one of whom was a minor. The protests, held for months, became a rare and powerful public confrontation between elite athletes and the institutions that govern their sport.
The complainants have said the alleged incidents took place between 2016 and 2019 at the WFI office, Singh's official residence and during international tours. Their allegations led to intense scrutiny of the federation, the sports ministry and the handling of complaints by authorities.
In response to the protests, the Union Sports Ministry set up an oversight committee to examine the allegations. The matter escalated further after the Supreme Court intervened, following which the Delhi Police registered a first information report against Singh in May 2023. Police later filed a chargesheet of more than 1,000 pages before the Rouse Avenue Court in June 2023.
The charges invoked Sections 354, 354A, 354D and 506(1) of the Indian Penal Code, covering assault or criminal force against a woman with intent to outrage modesty, sexual harassment, stalking and criminal intimidation. On May 10, 2024, the trial court formally framed charges against Singh under Sections 354 and 354A in relation to allegations made by five women wrestlers. The court also found sufficient grounds to frame a charge under Section 506(1) in relation to complaints by two wrestlers.
A separate case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act had also been registered after a minor wrestler complained. That matter later ended after the complainant withdrew her allegations and revised her statement, prompting the Delhi Police to file a closure report that was accepted by the court.
The latest appeal reopens a case that has already had major consequences beyond the courtroom. It has exposed deep fault lines in Indian sport over power, accountability and the treatment of women athletes, while also testing how the justice system evaluates testimony in sexual harassment cases. The upcoming hearing before the Delhi court is likely to determine whether the acquittal stands or whether the matter moves into another round of legal scrutiny.
For the wrestlers, the appeal is not only about one verdict. It is also a challenge to the reasoning that underpinned it, and to the broader question of how allegations of abuse by women athletes are assessed when they involve powerful figures at the top of sporting institutions. The court's next steps will be watched closely by the wrestling community, legal observers and the athletes who turned a private grievance into a public movement.