NEW DELHI: Former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh on Monday reacted to his acquittal in the sexual harassment case involving women wrestlers, claiming that the court’s observations had highlighted links between the complainants, a particular wrestling akhada and political groups.Speaking to ANI, Brij Bhushan said the court’s observations had raised questions about the circumstances surrounding the allegations and pointed to the role of a specific akhada associated with the Hooda family.
Brij Bhushan questions wrestlers’ allegations
“The coach and the akhada that have been named are, in a sense, very special to the Hooda family. It was primarily athletes from this specific akhada who emerged, rather than wrestlers from other akhadas across Haryana… this point was reflected in the judgment as well,” he told ANI.The former WFI chief also referred to statements made by two wrestlers during the proceedings, claiming that their testimonies were taken into account by the court while arriving at its verdict.“Two of the wrestlers who had levelled allegations detailed exactly what had transpired in the privacy of the judge’s chambers. The court placed these statements on record, and the judgment was subsequently delivered based on this testimony,” Singh said.Brij Bhushan further questioned the addresses mentioned by the complainants, alleging that wrestlers from different districts had provided the same address in their complaints.“Another significant detail is that they all share a single address. Although the wrestlers hail from various districts, they all listed the same address: Bajrang Punia’s residence in Sonipat,” he alleged.
‘Hooda family was the first to emerge’
Singh also alleged political involvement in the case, claiming that the Hooda family was the first political group to come forward in connection with the matter.“Regarding political involvement, the Hooda family was the first to emerge. We will wait to see what move they make,” he added.Earlier, the Rouse Avenue Court observed that the allegations against Brij Bhushan appeared to be politically motivated and fabricated. The court also noted that the prosecution had failed to prove the allegations and that prosecution witnesses had turned hostile during the trial.Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (MP-MLA Court) Ashwani Panwar on August 3 acquitted Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and former WFI assistant secretary Vinod Tomar in the case of alleged sexual harassment based on a complaint filed by women wrestlers.The judgment is not publicly available. However, the court’s observations raised questions about the manner in which the allegations were made. It noted that while the allegations were levelled by the women wrestlers around the same period, the alleged incidents were said to have occurred at different times and places.The court also noted that some complainants remained in contact with the accused after making the allegations, including inviting the former WFI chief to family functions and weddings, which it said raised doubts about the reliability of the allegations.
