An Indian court on Monday acquitted the former chief of India's wrestling federation in a sexual harassment case lodged by female wrestlers, three years after the allegations triggered months-long protests demanding criminal action against him.
The court had in 2024 laid charges against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh of sexual harassment of five female wrestlers and the crime of outraging their modesty.
Mr Singh was the former chief of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) and an ex-lawmaker with prime minister Narendra Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
“I had complete faith that justice would be done ... justice was done," Mr Singh, 69, told reporters after the court in Delhi announced its verdict. "I never considered myself a criminal at all.”
The women wrestlers have instructed their lawyer to appeal against the verdict, and the process would begin "as soon as possible", Indian Olympic wrestling star Vinesh Phogat said on X. "We have not lost hope, and the wrestlers will continue their fight," she said.
The verdict was pronounced by additional chief judicial magistrate Ashwini Panwar of the Rouse Avenue Courts after the order had been reserved on 2 July.
Mr Singh's supporters were rushing to garland him as he exited the court. He was fed traditional Indian sweets and given bouquets after the verdict.
Sanjay Singh, the WFI president and a key aide of the lawmaker, said "everyone is in a great mood and really happy".
Public prosecutor Manish Rawat said the prosecution would review the detailed judgment before taking the next steps.
The trial was held in camera, while the press was barred from attending the court proceedings.
Ms Phogat, and Olympic medallists Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia, were among the hundreds who staged a sit-in demonstration in New Delhi in 2023 demanding action against Mr Singh. The protests were called off after talks with the federal sports minister on the promise of action against Mr Singh.
Mr Punia also returned one of India's highest civilian awards while Malik retired from the sport in protest.
Mr Singh was also a senior lawmaker from the ruling when the allegations against him first surfaced. He completed his term in 2024 and was not renominated. The BJP, instead, fielded his son for the same constituency, where he won and is now a lawmaker.
A court in Delhi last year formally closed a sexual harassment case filed by a wrestler – who was a child at the time – against Mr Singh. The case had been registered under India’s stringent Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and various sections of the Indian Penal Code.
The closure followed the minor wrestler’s withdrawal of her allegations during a statement recorded in court. Her father, who had initially filed the complaint, later admitted it was “false” and motivated by anger over what he perceived as biased treatment of his daughter in selection processes.
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