Four women wrestlers have approached a Delhi court challenging the acquittal of former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh in a sexual harassment case.
The criminal revision petition was filed on Friday through senior advocate Rebecca John before Special Judge Digvinay Singh at the Rouse Avenue Courts. The matter is scheduled to be heard on September 26.
The wrestlers have described the trial court’s August 3 judgment as “archaic” and based on what they called “stereotypical assumptions” about the behaviour of women who report sexual harassment.
In their petition, the wrestlers argued that the acquittal was not sustainable in law and alleged that the trial court had relied on conjectures and assumptions rather than properly assessing the evidence presented during the proceedings.
The petition also questioned the court’s approach towards the conduct of the alleged victims. According to the plea, the judgment relied on outdated assumptions about how women are expected to respond after facing sexual harassment.
The wrestlers further argued that women facing harassment at the workplace may sometimes remain silent because of concerns about their employment, professional position or other consequences. They said the absence of an immediate complaint should not, by itself, be treated as evidence that an allegation is false.
On August 3, a magisterial court acquitted Brij Bhushan Singh and former WFI assistant secretary Vinod Tomar, citing a lack of sufficient evidence. The court had raised questions over contradictions in the statements of witnesses and inconsistencies in documentary evidence.
The trial court also noted the absence of contemporaneous complaints while assessing the prosecution’s case.
In its detailed judgment, the court had made strong observations about the allegations, describing them as “false” and “fabricated” and referring to what it considered a possible politically motivated conspiracy.
The acquittal followed a case that had attracted significant public attention after several leading Indian women wrestlers publicly accused Singh of sexual harassment. The allegations had also led to prolonged protests by wrestlers in Delhi.
The latest petition does not itself overturn the earlier acquittal. The Delhi court will now consider the revision petition and the grounds raised by the wrestlers against the trial court’s findings.
The petition argues that the evidence should be examined from the perspective of the circumstances in which workplace sexual harassment allegations may be reported, including the possibility of delayed complaints.
The case will therefore return to court with the wrestlers seeking judicial reconsideration of the August 3 acquittal order.
The September 26 hearing is expected to determine the next stage of the legal challenge and whether the revision petition can proceed further.
Singh has denied the allegations against him. The latest proceedings concern the legal challenge to his acquittal and do not amount to a finding of guilt.
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