Delhi Court Terms Wrestlers’ Harassment Allegations Against Brij Bhushan Singh ‘False, Fabricated’; BJP Reacts

A Delhi court has described the allegations made by two women wrestlers against former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Singh as “false and fabricated” while acquitting the BJP leader in the sexual harassment case.

The Rouse Avenue Court acquitted Singh on August 3 in the case involving allegations made by women wrestlers, including Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik. The detailed order was released later.

According to the court order, the two wrestlers whose allegations formed part of the prosecution’s case turned hostile during the proceedings and did not support the case against Singh.

Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Ashwini Panwar observed that their statements significantly weakened the prosecution’s case. The court further said the allegations appeared to have been politically motivated.

The order stated that the two wrestlers were initially projected as victims but later denied that they had faced sexual harassment. The court concluded that their subsequent statements undermined the allegations made against Singh.

Reacting to the court’s observations, the BJP demanded accountability from those it accused of making and promoting false allegations against Singh.

BJP IT department head Amit Malviya questioned what action should be taken against people who allegedly made false claims and those in political circles who knowingly amplified them.

Malviya also criticised the alleged use of media coverage to shape public opinion, arguing that reputations can be damaged even when allegations eventually fail judicial scrutiny.

The case dates back to allegations of sexual harassment made by women wrestlers against Singh during his tenure as WFI chief. The alleged incidents were reported to have occurred between 2016 and 2019 at the WFI office, Singh’s official residence and during overseas trips.

The allegations led to prolonged protests by prominent Indian wrestlers and became a major political and sporting controversy.

Singh has denied the allegations throughout the proceedings. His acquittal and the court’s observations have now added a significant development to the case.