DELHI COURT ISSUES NOTICE TO BRIJ BHUSHAN OVER WRESTLERS’ APPEAL

September 28, 2026

A Delhi court has issued notice to former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and former WFI assistant secretary Vinod Tomar following an appeal by four women wrestlers challenging their acquittal in a sexual harassment case. Special Judge Dig Vinay Singh also issued notice to the state, with the matter scheduled for further proceedings on October 9.

The appeal, filed on September 25, challenges the August 3 judgment of a magisterial court that acquitted Singh in a case arising from allegations made by six women wrestlers. Tomar's acquittal on a charge of criminal intimidation has also been challenged. The magistrate had cited lack of evidence in acquitting both accused.

In their appeal, the wrestlers have argued that the acquittal was legally unsustainable and resulted from what they described as a selective assessment of the evidence. They have also alleged that portions of the judgment relied on what their petition characterises as stereotypical assumptions about how victims of sexual harassment are expected to behave. These are arguments advanced by the appellants and will be considered in the appellate proceedings.

The case dates back to allegations raised by women wrestlers during Singh's tenure as WFI chief, which led to a Delhi Police investigation and the filing of a chargesheet in June 2023. The trial court subsequently framed charges against Singh and Tomar before acquitting them on August 3, 2026.

The latest court proceedings do not determine the merits of the appeal. Singh, Tomar and the state have been asked to respond, after which the court will consider the challenge to the acquittal.