Delhi Court Reserves Verdict in Wrestlers' Sexual Harassment Case

The Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM) Ashwini Panwar of the Rouse Avenue Courts reserved the final verdict on Thursday in the matter concerning allegations of sexual harassment levelled against Brij Bhushan Saran Singh, a Member of Parliament belonging to the Bharatiya Janata Party and former president of the Wrestling Federation of India. The court indicated that the order, whether of conviction or acquittal, will be pronounced on 3 August 2026.

The reservation followed extensive hearings during which the prosecution, the complainants and the accused were heard in detail. The proceedings were conducted in camera, as directed by the court. Senior Advocate Rebecca John appeared on behalf of the women wrestlers who have brought the allegations, while Advocate Rajiv Mohan represented the accused.

Charges were framed against Singh in May 2024 under provisions of the Indian Penal Code, 1860, namely Sections 354 (outraging the modesty of a woman), 354A (sexual harassment), 354D (stalking) and 506(1) (criminal intimidation). The court, however, discharged Singh in relation to the allegations raised by the sixth complainant. Regarding the co‑accused Vinod Tomar, who served as the former assistant secretary of the Wrestling Federation of India, the court framed charges under Section 506(Part 1) of the IPC pertaining to the first complainant. For the remaining offences alleged against Tomar, the court noted that he stands discharged.

Prior to the reservation of judgment, the court had dismissed an application filed by Singh seeking further investigation in the case and additional submissions on the framing of charges. In that application, Singh had contended that he was not present in India on the dates in question. Both Singh and Tomar remain on bail in the proceedings.

The Delhi Police had submitted the chargesheet in the preceding month, invoking the aforementioned IPC sections against the accused. Additionally, Section 109 of the IPC, which deals with abetment, was invoked against Tomar. The court also noted that a cancellation report had been filed in the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) case that had been registered against Singh on the basis of a complaint by a minor wrestler.

The complainants allege that the incidents of sexual harassment occurred between 2016 and 2019 at various locations, including the office of the Wrestling Federation of India, Singh’s official residence and places abroad. The court has not made any finding on the veracity of these allegations, and the reserved verdict will determine whether the charges framed against the accused are sustained.

Legal observers note that the case raises significant questions regarding the application of criminal law to allegations of sexual harassment within sports administration, particularly concerning the standards of proof required under the relevant IPC provisions and the procedural safeguards afforded to both complainants and accused during trial. The forthcoming order on 3 August is expected to clarify the court’s interpretation of the evidence presented and the legal conclusions drawn therefrom.