Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh acquittal: Vinesh Phogat, female wrestlers to appeal decision

Vinesh Phogat and other women wrestlers have decided to appeal the decision of acquitting former MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh in a sexual harassment case filed.

In a post on X, Ms. Phogat said, the women wrestlers have instructed their lawyers to appeal this decision. “The female wrestlers have instructed their lawyers to appeal this decision, and this will be done as soon as possible. We have not lost hope, and the wrestlers will continue their fight,” her post said in a X.

The MP and his aide Vinod Tomar were acquitted by a Delhi court on Monday (August 3, 2026).

Reacting to the acquittal, Ms. Phogat said it took a lot of courage for her and other women wrestlers to take to the streets and file an FIR against Mr. Singh, but we are deeply saddened that the court did not find Mr. Singh guilty.

In the post, Ms. Phogat said, “It took a lot of courage for us to take to the streets and file an FIR against a powerful leader of the ruling party. Using his power and muscle, Brijbhushan intimidated many girls into withdrawing their names. However, many female wrestlers stood up and fought against Brijbhushan in court. We are deeply saddened that the court did not find Brijbhushan Sharan Singh guilty of the sexual assault charges leveled by the female wrestlers.”

The government and the entire system been working to protect Brij Bhushan, the wrestler’s post said. “From the very beginning, the entire system, the government, and the entire system have been working to protect Brijbhushan. ,” her post added.

Several renowned wrestlers, including Sakshi Malik, Ms. Phogat, Bajrang Punia, and Sangeeta Phogat had protested for months in New Delhi in 2023, demanding the arrest of the BJP leader for allegedly sexually harassing several women grapplers, including a minor. The complaint stated that the harassment took place between 2016 and 2019 at the WFI office, at Mr. Singh’s official residence, and also during trips abroad.