A court in Delhi on Thursday reserved its verdict in the sexual harassment case filed by six female wrestlers against Wrestling Federation of India’s (WFI) former chief and ex-Lok Sabha MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. Notably, the move is being seen as the nearing of the case’s conclusion.

Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Ashwini Pawar of the Rouse Avenue Court fixed August 3, 2026, as the date for the pronouncement of the verdict in the case after hearing final oral arguments. The court also ordered both the prosecution and the defence to submit their written arguments within the next two weeks.

Charges against Brij Bhushan

Singh faces charges under Section 354 (assault or criminal force to a woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 354A (sexual harassment) and 506(1) (criminal intimidation) of the erstwhile Indian Penal Code (IPC). WFI’s former Assistant Secretary Vinod Tomar is the co-accused in the case, who has been charged with criminal intimidation. The offences carry a maximum sentence of five years’ imprisonment if the accused are found guilty.

The case stems from allegations made by six women wrestlers, who levelled allegations against Singh of sexually harassing them over a period spanning nearly a decade.

Women wrestlers led protests at Jantar Mantar

The allegations first surfaced when leading women wrestlers staged demonstrations and protests at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar in January 2023. The athletes called for Singh’s arrest and his removal as the head of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), alleging repeated incidents of sexual harassment over several years.

After the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports assured the wrestlers that an inquiry committee would be constituted, they called off the protest. However, they again held demonstrations in April 2023 after the athletes alleged that no meaningful action had been taken.

Police probe and trial

After the Supreme Court intervened, the Delhi Police registered two FIRs on April 28, 2023. One related to complaints filed by six adult women wrestlers against Singh and Tomar, while the second invoked provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act based on allegations levelled by a minor wrestler. According to the FIRs, the alleged incidents took place between 2012 and 2022.

The POCSO case was later closed in May 2025 after the complainant, who had turned an adult by then, withdrew the allegations. The closure followed a Delhi Police report stating that the probe had found no corroborative evidence.

The cops named Singh and Tomar in the chargesheet filed in June 2023, concluding that sufficient evidence existed to prosecute them. Charges were framed in May 2024, with both accused pleading not guilty.

The in-camera trial kicked off in July 2024, during which the prosecution examined 32 witnesses, including all six complainants and officials from the WFI, as well as the Sports Authority of India (SAI). The prosecution maintained that witness testimonies consistently supported the allegations.

Advocate Rajiv Mohan, representing Singh, has rejected all accusations, terming them ‘politically motivated’ and aimed at removing him from the WFI leadership. The defence also contended that the complainants’ testimonies contained material improvements during the course of the trial.