4 wrestlers challenge Brij Bhushan’s acquittal, call trial court verdict ‘archaic, stereotypical’

Four women wrestlers on Friday moved a Delhi court challenging the acquittal of former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh in a sexual harassment case, calling the trial court’s August 3 judgment “archaic” and based on “stereotypical assumptions”.

The criminal revision petition was filed through senior advocate Rebecca John before special judge Digvinay Singh of Rouse Avenue Courts and is scheduled for hearing on September 26.

The plea said the acquittal was “unsustainable in law” and based on “conjectures and surmises” rather than a proper appreciation of evidence.

The petition alleged that the trial court had relied on “archaic and stereotypical assumptions about the expected behaviour of victims of sexual assault and harassment, rather than on a fair, evidence-based assessment.”

Also Read | ‘False, fabricated, politically motivated’: Delhi court on sexual harassment case against Brij Bhushan Singh

It also argued that the court failed to understand why women facing workplace sexual harassment may choose to remain silent to protect their employment.

On August 3, the magisterial court acquitted Singh and former WFI assistant secretary Vinod Tomar, citing lack of evidence. The court said the allegations appeared “false” and “fabricated”, and part of a “deep conspiracy which seems to be politically motivated.”

In a detailed judgment, additional chief judicial magistrate Ashwini Panwar had observed: “I have no hitch in saying that the version given by the victims...discredits the prosecution case completely and also shows that the entire allegations are false and fabricated, made against the accused persons in a deep conspiracy which seems to be politically motivated.”

The court pointed out to the contradiction in witnesses’ statements and “inconsistencies” in documentary evidence and the “absence of contemporaneous complaints.”