A group of female athletes brought a sexual harassment case three years ago, and an Indian court cleared the controversial politician.
When Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh led the Wrestling Federation of India, six female wrestlers accused him of sexually abusing them. He had refuted the accusations.
In Uttar Pradesh, India's most politically significant state, Singh, a former member of parliament for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has significant influence.
In 2023, the accusations against him gained international attention, particularly after the wrestlers attempted to march to India's new parliament building in Delhi and were arrested by police.
Top athletes and opposition politicians criticized footage of Olympic medallists Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia, as well as two-time world champion Vinesh Phogat, being dragged through the streets and taken away in police trucks.
Additionally, they demanded that the government take action against Singh during a weeks-long protest in the center of Delhi.
Singh told local media on Monday that he was "happy" and appreciative of his attorneys following the district court's announcement of the verdict.On the day I was accused, I had said that I would voluntarily hang myself if the accusations were validated. I was found not guilty by the court today," he said to news outlet NDTV.
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The man at the center of India's wrestling dispute is Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
Supporters threw flower petals and lit firecrackers to welcome Singh home from the court in Delhi. Vinod Tomar, one of his assistants, was likewise exonerated of all allegations.
One of India's best wrestlers, Vinesh Phogat, who came to represent the demonstrations against Singh, expressed her disappointment with the decision on X.The wrestlers who brought the complaint would challenge the decision in a higher court, she claimed, adding that "the entire administration, system, and government were engaged in protecting [Singh] from the first day."
When the accusations initially surfaced, Modi's government was charged with failing to take decisive action against Singh, a BJP lawmaker at the time. The accusation was refuted by the government, which stated that the law will take its course.
Singh was refused a BJP ticket to run for the Kaiserganj seat in Uttar Pradesh in 2024 due to criticism over the accusations. Instead, Singh's son was nominated by the BJP, and he was successful.
