New Delhi : Olympian Vinesh Phogat has strongly criticised the acquittal of former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh in the sexual harassment case filed by six women wrestlers. The verdict marks the latest chapter in one of the most high-profile legal battles in Indian sport, nearly three years after allegations against Brij Bhushan triggered nationwide protests led by some of the country’s top wrestlers.
Using his political influence and muscle power, Brij Bhushan intimidated several women into withdrawing their complaints, she wrote. Many women wrestlers stood firm and continued to fight the legal battle against Brij Bhushan. We are deeply disappointed that the court did not find him guilty of the allegations of sexual harassment made by the women wrestlers, Vinesh said. From the very beginning, the entire system, the government and the establishment have been working to protect Brij Bhushan, she claimed.
Vinesh said the complainants have already instructed their lawyers to file an appeal. The women wrestlers have instructed their lawyers to appeal against this verdict, and the appeal will be filed at the earliest. We have not lost hope, and the wrestlers will continue their fight, she said. Fellow Olympian Bajrang Punia, who was among the leading faces of the 2023 protest along with Vinesh and Sakshi Malik, shared the same statement on social media, signalling support for the decision to challenge the acquittal.
The acquittal came months after Vinesh publicly revealed that she was one of the six complainants in the case. She had said she chose not to disclose her identity while the trial was underway in accordance with Supreme Court guidelines protecting the identity of survivors of sexual harassment. The case, which began in 2023, sparked months of protests at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, with Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia demanding Brij Bhushan’s arrest and removal as WFI chief.
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