This guide to the wrestlers protest and the Brij Bhushan case, told as a timeline, runs from the Jantar Mantar sit-ins of 2023, through a Delhi Police chargesheet and a three-year trial, to an acquittal in August 2026 that the complainants are now appealing. At the centre were allegations of sexual harassment by women wrestlers against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, then president of the Wrestling Federation of India and a BJP MP. This article presents the verified sequence of events in the wrestlers protest, the legal proceedings, and the current status, sticking to reported facts.
Wrestlers Protest Explained: From Jantar Mantar to the Chargesheet
- 18 January 2023: Prominent wrestlers including Olympic medallists Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia begin a sit-in protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, accusing WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh of sexual harassment and intimidation of women wrestlers, and demanding his resignation and the dissolution of the federation.
- January 2023: The Sports Ministry suspends WFI’s activities and constitutes an Oversight Committee headed by boxer Mary Kom to inquire into the allegations. The wrestlers call off the protest on 21 January after assurances of action.
- April 2023: Dissatisfied with the pace of action, the wrestlers return to Jantar Mantar on 23 April. Seven women wrestlers file complaints with Delhi Police; one complaint, by a minor, is registered under the POCSO Act, while the others lead to a separate FIR.
- May 2023: The protest intensifies with support from farmer groups and opposition leaders. On 28 May, wrestlers marching toward the new Parliament building are detained by Delhi Police and the protest site is cleared.
- June 2023: The Indian Olympic Association forms an ad-hoc committee to run wrestling affairs. In the POCSO case, the minor complainant and her father withdraw the allegations; Delhi Police files a cancellation report stating no corroborative evidence was found.
- 15 June 2023: Delhi Police files a chargesheet against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and former WFI assistant secretary Vinod Tomar in the main case, invoking IPC sections 354 (assault on a woman with intent to outrage modesty), 354A (sexual harassment), 354D (stalking) and 506 (criminal intimidation).
- 7 July 2023: The Rouse Avenue court takes cognizance of the chargesheet and summons the accused. Bail is granted on 20 July 2023.
- May 2024: On 10 May, the trial court orders framing of charges; on 21 May, charges are formally framed against Singh in connection with allegations by five women wrestlers, while he is discharged regarding a sixth complainant. Tomar is charged with criminal intimidation concerning one complainant.
- June 2024: The trial begins before the Rouse Avenue court.
- 26 May 2025: A Delhi court accepts the Delhi Police’s closure report in the POCSO case, formally ending that proceeding.
- 3 August 2026: Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Ashwani Panwar acquits Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and Vinod Tomar, holding that the prosecution failed to establish the charges beyond reasonable doubt after a trial spanning more than three years and 127 hearings.
- September 2026: Four women wrestlers file an appeal against the acquittal before the sessions court, contending the trial court’s assessment of evidence was unsustainable in law.
- 28 September 2026: The sessions court issues notice to Singh and Tomar on the appeal, seeking their responses; the matter is next listed for 9 October 2026.
That 13-date sequence is the backbone of the wrestlers protest story — from the first Jantar Mantar sit-in to the sessions court appeal now pending.
The Case in Court: What Was Alleged and What Was Decided
Once the wrestlers protest moved from Jantar Mantar to the courtroom, the prosecution’s case rested on the testimony of the women wrestlers, who alleged a pattern of inappropriate physical contact, harassment and intimidation by Singh during his tenure as WFI chief, with Tomar accused of criminally intimidating one complainant. The defence denied all charges and questioned the credibility and consistency of the allegations.
The trial court’s acquittal order held that the prosecution had not proved its case beyond reasonable doubt, the standard required for criminal conviction in India. The complainants’ appeal argues that the trial court focused on minor inconsistencies instead of assessing the evidence as a whole, including corroboration. The appeal is currently pending, and the acquittal is not final until the appellate process concludes — the wrestlers protest saga is not over yet.
The Wider Fallout: WFI, Careers and Politics
The wrestlers protest reshaped Indian wrestling’s administration. The WFI was suspended by the Sports Ministry; fresh elections in December 2023 brought Sanjay Singh, considered close to Brij Bhushan, to the presidency, but the ministry suspended the new body within days over procedural violations. United World Wrestling, the global body, suspended WFI’s membership in August 2023 and lifted it in February 2024. On the personal front, Sakshi Malik announced her retirement from wrestling in December 2023 in protest over the federation’s leadership; Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia joined the Congress party in September 2024, with Phogat winning the Julana assembly seat in Haryana.
As of October 2026, the legal position after the wrestlers protest is this: Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and Vinod Tomar stand acquitted by the trial court, the POCSO case stands closed, and the wrestlers’ appeal against the acquittal is before the sessions court. Whatever the final outcome, the case has already left a lasting mark on how allegations of harassment in Indian sport are reported, investigated and tried.
Key Legal Questions the Case Raised
Beyond its verdict, the wrestlers protest case became a reference point for several difficult legal questions. First, the standard of proof: the acquittal turned on the prosecution’s failure to prove charges beyond reasonable doubt, and the appeal now asks the sessions court to decide whether the trial court applied that standard correctly or dismissed credible testimony over minor inconsistencies. The outcome will be watched as a statement on how Indian courts weigh victim testimony in harassment cases.
Second, delay and institutional response: the wrestlers protest first erupted in January 2023, yet an FIR was registered only after they returned to Jantar Mantar in April and approached the Supreme Court, raising questions about how promptly complaints by athletes against powerful sports administrators are acted upon. Third, the POCSO track showed how quickly a case can collapse when the complainant retracts: the minor’s revised statement led to a cancellation report that the court accepted in May 2025, a sequence critics cite as evidence of pressure and supporters cite as proof the allegations were unreliable.
Fourth, the intersection of sport and politics: with the accused a sitting MP, the federation’s leadership contested, and two of the protesting wrestlers later entering electoral politics, the case illustrates how hard it is to separate legal process from political narrative in high-profile Indian trials. The sessions court’s decision on the appeal, expected after the October 2026 hearings, will be the next decisive chapter.
Where the Wrestlers Are Now
The wrestlers protest changed the trajectory of its leading figures. Sakshi Malik, India’s first woman wrestling Olympic medallist, announced her retirement in December 2023, saying she was stepping away in protest against the federation’s leadership. Vinesh Phogat’s path was the most dramatic: after the protest, she qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympics, reached the women’s 50kg freestyle final, and was then disqualified hours before the gold-medal bout for being marginally overweight, a heartbreak that made global headlines. She subsequently joined the Congress party and won the Julana assembly seat in the October 2024 Haryana elections, moving from the mat to the legislature. Bajrang Punia also joined the Congress and took up organisational roles.
Their political turn has itself become part of the debate: supporters see it as athletes claiming their democratic voice, while critics argue it colours the original protest with partisanship. Either way, the wrestlers protest generation’s journey from Jantar Mantar’s footpath to Parliament’s corridors and state assemblies is one of the most remarkable athlete-activist arcs in recent Indian history.
Sources: Times of India: Wrestlers challenge Brij Bhushan acquittal; India Legal: Delhi court seeks response on appeal. Related reading: NEET paper leak case explained — another high-profile Indian controversy where the courts’ handling made national headlines.
Frequently Asked Questions
What charges were filed against Brij Bhushan Singh?
Delhi Police filed a chargesheet in June 2023 under IPC sections 354, 354A, 354D and 506. A separate POCSO case was closed in May 2025 after the complainant retracted.
What was the verdict in the wrestlers' case?
On 3 August 2026, the Rouse Avenue court acquitted Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and co-accused Vinod Tomar, holding the prosecution failed to prove charges beyond reasonable doubt.
Have the wrestlers appealed the acquittal?
Yes. Four women wrestlers filed an appeal in September 2026; the sessions court issued notice to the accused on 28 September 2026, with the next hearing on 9 October 2026.
What happened to the Wrestling Federation of India?
WFI was suspended by the Sports Ministry, run by an ad-hoc committee, and its newly elected body was also suspended; global body UWW lifted its suspension in February 2024.
Key Takeaways
The wrestlers protest began as a Jantar Mantar sit-in over sexual harassment allegations against the WFI chief and became a three-year legal saga ending — for now — in acquittal, with an appeal pending. The wrestlers protest reshaped Indian wrestling’s administration, ended some careers and launched others into politics. Whatever the sessions court decides, the wrestlers protest has already changed how harassment allegations in Indian sport are reported, investigated and tried.
