Delhi Court Issues Notice in Brij Bhushan Singh Appeal

• Delhi court issues notice on the wrestlers’ appeal.
• Brij Bhushan Singh and Vinod Tomar asked to respond.
• August 3 acquittal challenged by four women wrestlers.
• Next hearing fixed for October 9.

GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 28th Sept: A Delhi court on Monday issued notice on an appeal filed by four women wrestlers challenging the acquittal of former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh in a sexual harassment case.

The criminal appeal, filed on September 25, also challenges the acquittal of former WFI assistant secretary Vinod Tomar on the charge of criminal intimidation.

Special Judge Dig Vinay Singh issued notices to Singh, Tomar and the state. The matter has been listed for further proceedings on October 9.

On August 3, a magisterial court had acquitted Singh in the sexual harassment case filed by six women wrestlers, citing lack of evidence. The court had also acquitted Tomar.

The wrestlers, in their appeal, have argued that the acquittal was unsustainable in law and was based on what they described as a “manifestly erroneous and selective appreciation” of the evidence. They have also alleged that the judgment proceeded on conjectures and surmises and failed to apply established legal principles.

The plea further contends that a substantial part of the magisterial court’s reasoning relied on what the appellants described as “archaic and stereotypical assumptions” about the expected behaviour of victims of sexual assault and harassment.

According to the appeal, the evidence should instead have been assessed fairly and in light of the circumstances of the alleged victims.

The case was filed by six women wrestlers, including world championships medallist Vinesh Phogat, against Singh, who was the former WFI chief and former BJP MP.

The allegations raised by the wrestlers and the grounds cited in the appeal remain subject to judicial consideration.