Brij Bhushan Granted Time to Reply to Acquittal Appeal
Rouse Avenue Court grants former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh time to file a reply against the appeal challenging his acquittal in the wrestler case.
The Rouse Avenue Court has granted former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh additional time to submit a formal response to an appeal challenging his recent acquittal. The legal battle follows a decision made in August that cleared Singh and former WFI assistant secretary Vinod Tomar of sexual harassment charges involving several prominent women wrestlers.
Defense Seeks More Time for Response
During the proceedings on Friday, defense counsel Advocate Rajiv Mohan, alongside Rehan Khan and Rishabh Bhati, informed the court that they had received the copy of the appeal late. They argued that sufficient time was necessary to prepare and file a comprehensive reply. In response to these submissions, Special Judge Dig Vinay Singh has listed the matter for a hearing on October 28.
The court has also directed the Additional Public Prosecutor (APP), Manish Rawat, to seek instructions regarding whether the State intends to file its own revision petition in this matter.
The Grounds of the Appeal
The appeal, filed by the women wrestlers, seeks to overturn the acquittal granted by the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM) Ashwani Panwar. The appellants have raised several critical arguments against the previous judgment:
- Legal Sustainability: The wrestlers argue that the acquittal is unsustainable under existing laws.
- Evidence Misinterpretation: The appeal claims the court's decision was based on a selective and erroneous appreciation of the evidence provided.
- Stereotypical Assumptions: A major contention in the appeal is that the order relied on "archaic and stereotypical assumptions" regarding how victims of sexual assault are expected to behave, rather than conducting a fair, evidence-based assessment.
- Conjectures: The wrestlers contend that the judgment rests on surmises and conjectures instead of binding legal principles.
Strict Privacy Measures for Victims
To protect the identities of those involved, the Rouse Avenue Court has implemented strict confidentiality measures. On September 28, the court directed that:
- The original affidavit and orders containing the names of the victims must be kept in a sealed envelope.
- The appellants must file a copy of their petition where the names of the victims are redacted.
Background of the Case
The case stems from an FIR lodged by women wrestlers following allegations of sexual harassment and misconduct during Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh's tenure as the head of the WFI. The wrestlers had famously staged protests at Jantar Mantar to demand justice.
The Delhi Police had conducted an extensive investigation, culminating in a 1,500-page charge sheet filed on June 15, 2023. The charges included various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), such as Sections 354, 354 D, 354 A, 506 (1), and 109, relating to sexual harassment, stalking, and criminal intimidation.