Delhi Court Acquits Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh as Wrestlers Vow to Appeal and Challenge Systemic State Protection

A Delhi court has acquitted former Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh of all sexual harassment charges, prompting an immediate vow to appeal by Vinesh Phogat and fellow athletes. This decision highlights a deeply troubling environment where political clout allegedly supersedes judicial accountability and survivors face a system designed to protect the powerful.

By Rakesh Raman
New Delhi | August 4, 2026

The Verdict and Immediate Defiance

The acquittal of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and Vinod Tomar by a Delhi court represents a critical flashpoint for civil rights and gender justice in India. This verdict does far more than conclude a specific criminal trial; it serves as a chilling message to whistleblowers that the judiciary may struggle to remain impartial when confronted with the overwhelming weight of political authority. For survivors of sexual violence, the decision is a strategic indicator of the near-insurmountable obstacles faced when challenging the status quo of institutional power.

In a decision delivered in August 2026, Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Ashwini Panwar of the Rouse Avenue Court acquitted the former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief and his assistant secretary. The proceedings, conducted in-camera, brought an end to a trial that lasted more than two years and saw the prosecution examine 32 witnesses. While Singh welcomed the “honourable acquittal,” the response from the complainants was one of immediate and sharp defiance.

Vinesh Phogat, a central figure in the movement, expressed profound disappointment that the court failed to find Singh guilty despite the testimonies provided. Phogat alleged that “the entire state machinery, the government, and the system have been working to protect Brij Bhushan” from the moment the allegations surfaced. Having instructed their legal counsel to file an appeal immediately, the wrestlers have signaled that this courtroom loss is merely a transition into a broader struggle against the institutional environment that governed the trial.

Critique of Systemic Protection and Political Clout

To understand this acquittal, one must investigate how political survival and state influence actively shape judicial outcomes. In high-profile cases involving the ruling party, the state machinery often shifts from a mechanism of prosecution to a protective shield for the accused. A primary example of this enduring clout is seen in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections; while the BJP did not field Brij Bhushan himself, they nominated his son, Karan Bhushan Singh, who successfully won the seat. This continuity of power suggests an institutional refusal to distance the political apparatus from those accused of grave misconduct.

Also Read:

[ UN Human Rights Petition to Get Justice for Women Wrestlers of India ]

The handling of the wrestlers’ grievances has been described as “perfunctory,” reflecting a perceived decay in the vigor of India’s oversight bodies. The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), for instance, has been criticized for failing to protect the athletes. Its chairman, Justice Arun Kumar Mishra, was “handpicked arbitrarily” in 2021, and critics argue the commission has completely failed in its mandate during this crisis. Even the Supreme Court has faced allegations of handling the initial stages of the case in a perfunctory manner, requiring public pressure just to ensure an FIR was registered.

This systemic failure aligns India with autocratic nations like Belarus or Syria, where peaceful protests by oppressed citizens are frequently ignored or suppressed by the state. Phogat noted that athletes had to muster extraordinary courage just to take to the streets against a leader of Singh’s stature. The perception that the system prioritized protecting a political ally over the rights of complainants created an environment of legal attrition that characterized the trial’s duration.

The Legal Timeline and Obstacles to Justice

The journey from the Jantar Mantar protests in 2023 to the 2026 verdict is a case study in how the passage of time can be used to exhaust survivors. This case involved allegations of “sextortion,” defined by the International Association of Women Judges as the abuse of power to obtain a sexual benefit, where sex—rather than money—is the currency of the bribe. Yet, the legal process seemed designed to facilitate witness attrition rather than address this corruption.

Critical Legal Milestones

• January to April 2023: Prominent wrestlers lead mass protests at Jantar Mantar demanding the arrest of the WFI chief.
• April 2023: FIRs are registered only after direct intervention by the Supreme Court of India.
• June 2023: Delhi Police file a chargesheet for sexual harassment, stalking, and criminal intimidation.
• May 2025: The court accepts a closure report in the POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) case after the minor complainant withdrew allegations amidst claims of intimidation.
• August 2026: Following a trial exceeding two years, the court delivers a judgment of acquittal for both Singh and Tomar.

Throughout these years, the “intimidation factor” remained a constant shadow. The political clout of the accused reportedly led to several women withdrawing their names from the case. Such witness attrition is a predictable outcome in prolonged trials where the accused retains significant social and political power, creating a vacuum where solidarity must fill the gaps left by the law.

Solidarity and the Demand for Institutional Reform

The acquittal has triggered a powerful wave of solidarity from more than 250 prominent feminists, lawyers, and activists, including Teesta Setalvad, Mallika Sarabhai, Aruna Roy, and Indira Jaising. This collective advocacy is essential for challenging a judicial status quo that appears increasingly susceptible to power. While Singh celebrates his “honourable” clearance, Senior Advocate Rebecca John, representing four of the complainants, described the outcome as “deeply, deeply disturbing,” noting that the legal team had elicited sound, corroborated testimonies that the court seemingly disregarded.

The mandate from the feminist and sporting community now focuses on urgent institutional shifts:

• The rigorous, transparent implementation of the POSH (Prevention of Sexual Harassment) Act across all sporting federations.
• The absolute removal of “money and muscle power” and political interference from sports administration.
• The establishment of robust protection for athletes who report grievances, ensuring they are supported rather than penalized by the state.

Despite this judicial setback, the resolve of the wrestlers remains unbroken. Their commitment to an appeal underscores a refusal to accept that the state machinery can be used to protect the powerful at the expense of the vulnerable. The fight for justice continues beyond the courtroom, targeting the very structures that allow political clout to masquerade as innocence.

By Rakesh Raman, who is a national award-winning journalist and social activist. He is the founder of a humanitarian organization RMN Foundation which is working in diverse areas to help the disadvantaged and distressed people in the society.