Sexual harassment case: Brij Bhushan Singh acquitted, calls it a conspiracy

Former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh was acquitted in the women wrestlers' sexual harassment case. He termed the allegations a 'conspiracy' and welcomed the court's verdict, stating he had complete faith in the judicial process.

Brij Bhushan Singh Reacts to Acquittal

Former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh on Monday said the allegations against him were part of a conspiracy and that he would have accepted the consequences if they were proven true. The former WFI chief also welcomed the Rouse Avenue Court's decision to acquit him in the women wrestlers' alleged sexual harassment case, saying he had complete faith in the judicial process and never felt guilty.

"I said this was a conspiracy, and if any of the allegations against me are found to be true, I will hang myself. To this day, I've stood by that statement. Today, after almost three years, the court has honourably acquitted me and Vinod," Singh said.

He said he had always stood up for people whose rights were violated and expressed happiness over what he described as a victory in the fight for junior athletes. "I always stood up for those who were weak, those whose rights were violated. I had complete faith that justice would be done to me, and I never felt guilty. We were fighting for the junior athletes whose rights were being violated, and I am happy that we won that fight," he added.

Following his acquittal, Singh received a warm welcome at his residence, where supporters showered him with flower petals. Crackers were also burst outside his residence as supporters celebrated the court's verdict.

Brij Bhushan's lawyer Rajiv Mohan told reporters, "... The court has not yet received a copy of the order. Once it is received, we can inform on what basis the court arrived at its conclusion. The arguments we presented have been accepted..."

Case Background and Legal Proceedings

The case stemmed from allegations made by women wrestlers against Singh during his tenure as WFI chief. The Delhi Police had filed a chargesheet against Singh in 2023, alleging offences including sexual harassment, assault or criminal force against women and criminal intimidation. Tomar was also named as a co-accused in the case.

Last month, the court had fixed August 3 as the date for the pronouncement of judgment in the matter linked to allegations raised by women wrestlers. The proceedings were conducted in a closed courtroom.

After the completion of the final arguments from both sides, Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM) Ashwani Panwar reserved the judgment after hearing detailed submissions from the prosecution and defence. The court has also directed the counsels to file their written submissions within two weeks.

During the final argument, senior advocate Rebecca John advanced arguments on behalf of the complainants, while the defence team led by advocate Rajiv Mohan, assisted by Rehan Khan and Rishabh Bhati, completed their submissions on June 30.

The case is linked to an FIR registered by Delhi Police following a protest by women wrestlers at Jantar Mantar, where allegations of sexual harassment during Singh's tenure as WFI chief were raised.

Earlier, Delhi Police had filed a 1500-page charge sheet on June 15, 2023, after completing its investigation into the allegations. The charge sheet invoked provisions under Sections 354, 354A, 354D and 506(1) of the Indian Penal Code.

The court had earlier recorded the statement of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) member on May 12 along with the deposition of the investigating officer during the course of trial proceedings. The accused have been facing trial in connection with allegations made by women wrestlers from India and abroad, who had accused Singh of sexual harassment during his tenure at the helm of the Wrestling Federation of India. (ANI)

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