New Delhi, 03 August (H.S.): World Championship medallist wrestler Vinesh Phogat said on Monday that the women wrestlers would soon file an appeal against a Delhi court's decision acquitting former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh in the sexual harassment case.

A Delhi court on Monday acquitted Brij Bhushan Singh and co-accused Vinod Tomar, former Assistant Secretary of the Wrestling Federation of India, in the sexual harassment case filed by women wrestlers. Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Ashwini Panwar held that both accused were not guilty of the charges.

Reacting to the court's verdict in a post on social media platform X, Vinesh Phogat said, The women wrestlers have instructed their lawyers to file an appeal against this judgment, and the appeal will be submitted at the earliest. We have not lost hope, and the women wrestlers will continue their fight.

Vinesh alleged that there had been attempts to shield Brij Bhushan Singh from the very beginning. She wrote, We are deeply saddened that the court did not find Brij Bhushan Singh guilty of the allegations of sexual violence made by the women wrestlers. From the very beginning, the entire administration, the government and the system were engaged in protecting him.

She further said that it took immense courage and a sustained public protest to secure the registration of an FIR against an influential leader of the ruling party. According to Vinesh, Brij Bhushan Singh used his influence and political clout to intimidate several women into withdrawing their names from the case. Despite this, she said, a number of women wrestlers remained firm in their decision to pursue justice.

Phogat made it clear that despite the trial court's verdict, the women wrestlers would not step back from their fight for justice and would challenge the acquittal before a higher court through the legal process.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar