A Delhi court has granted Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh more time to respond to the appeal filed by four women wrestlers against his acquittal in a sexual harassment case, and has listed the matter next on October 28.
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New Delhi: A Delhi court at the Rouse Avenue Courts on Friday granted time to former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president and former BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh to file his response to the appeal by four women wrestlers challenging his acquittal in a sexual harassment case. The appeal also challenges the acquittal of co-accused Vinod Tomar, a former WFI secretary.
The matter was heard by Special Judge Dig Vinay Singh on October 9, 2026. Singh was present in court. The allegations are untested, the court has expressed no view on the merits of the appeal, and the respondents are presumed innocent unless and until the appeal succeeds.
What happened in court
Notice in the appeal was issued on September 28, 2026 to Singh, Tomar and the State. At the hearing on Friday, Singh was given further time to respond. Counsel for Delhi Police told the court that the force was still considering whether to file its own appeal against the acquittal, and sought time to inform the court of its decision at the next hearing. The court listed the matter on October 28.
The acquittal under challenge
On August 3, 2026, Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Ashwini Panwar acquitted Singh of the charges under Sections 354, 354A and 506 (Part I) of the Indian Penal Code, and acquitted Tomar of the charge under Section 506 (Part I). Delhi Police had charged both men under Sections 354, 354A, 354D and 506(1) of the IPC, with Section 109 added against Tomar.
In acquitting the accused, the trial court took into account the complainants’ prolonged silence, their continued cordial relations with Singh and alleged contradictions in testimony, and held that the prosecution had not proved the charges beyond reasonable doubt. The women wrestlers contend in their appeal that the order is legally unsustainable and rests on “archaic and stereotypical assumptions” about how victims of sexual assault are expected to behave. Those contentions are yet to be tested.
Why the order matters
Friday’s hearing was procedural: the court decided nothing on the merits and only fixed the timeline for the responses. An acquittal carries a presumption of innocence that the appellate court must respect, and the appellants must show why the trial court’s findings call for interference. Whether the State will join the challenge is expected to become clear on the next date.
Proceedings: Appeal by four women wrestlers against the acquittal of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and Vinod Tomar
Bench: Special Judge Dig Vinay Singh, Rouse Avenue Courts, Delhi
Date of Hearing: October 9, 2026
Next Date: October 28, 2026