New Delhi: Olympic medallists Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat declared on Monday that the legal struggle against former Wrestling Federation of India president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh remains unfinished. In a joint statement released on X, the athletes confirmed that the affected female wrestlers plan to challenge a Delhi court order acquitting Singh and former assistant secretary Vinod Tomar in a high-profile sexual harassment case.
Expressing deep sadness over the trial court’s verdict, both grapplers emphasized that taking action against a influential political figure required immense courage and persistence. They alleged that Singh leveraged his political standing and authority to intimidate several initial complainants into stepping back. Furthermore, the statement accused government machinery and state institutions of actively working to shield the former sports administrator throughout the investigative and legal process.
Punia and Phogat confirmed that instructions have been issued to their legal counsel to prepare an immediate appeal for submission before a higher court. The ongoing criminal trial stems from nationwide athlete demonstrations staged at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar in 2023, which brought significant attention to athlete safety, systemic governance, and institutional oversight within Indian sports federations.
