Entire system has been working to protect him: Vinesh Phogat reacts to Brij Bhushan Singh judgement
New Delhi: Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat lashed out at the system for “protecting” after the former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief was acquitted in the sexual harassment case by a Delhi court. Vinesh said the women wrestlers will not give up and will appeal against the verdict.
The Rose Avenue Court in Delhi on Monday acquitted former WFI chief Brij Bhushan and ex-WFI secretary Vinod Tomar in the sexual harassment case filed by six women wrestlers. The verdict brought an end to one of the most controversial legal battles in the history of Indian sports.
The case had gained widespread attention across the nation when several top Indian wrestlers launched a protest, demanding action against Brij Bhushan at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar. Six women wrestlers made allegations of sexual harassment against the former WFI chief.
Reacting to the Delhi court’s verdict on Monday, Vinesh alleged that the “entire system” and the government worked to protect Brij Bhushan in the case. She also alleged that Brij Bhushan, who is also a BJP leader, used his political influence to force many wrestlers to withdraw their complaints against him.
“It took a great deal of courage for us to take to the streets and get an FIR registered against a powerful leader of the ruling party. Using his political influence and muscle power, Brij Bhushan intimidated several women into withdrawing their complaints,” Vinesh wrote in a social media post in Hindi.
“But many women wrestlers stood firm and continued to fight the legal battle against Brij Bhushan in court. We are deeply disappointed that the court did not find Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh guilty of the allegations of sexual harassment made by the women wrestlers,” she added.
— Vinesh Phogat (@Phogat_Vinesh) August 3, 2026
Wrestlers will continue to fight: Vinesh Phogat
Vinesh vowed that the wrestlers will not give up on the case and will continue to fight in the future. She also confirmed that the complainants have already asked their legal teams to challenge the Delhi court’s verdict, granting acquittal to Brij Bhushan and Tomar.
Vinesh herself is one of the six complainants in the case. The Olympian had earlier revealed that she chose not to disclose her identity during the trial to uphold the Supreme Court’s guidelines protecting the identity of sexual harassment survivors.
“From the very beginning, the entire system, the government, and the establishment have been working to protect Brij Bhushan,” Vinesh said in her post.
“The women wrestlers have instructed their lawyers to appeal against this verdict, and the appeal will be filed at the earliest. We have not lost hope, and the wrestlers will continue their fight,” she added.
Meanwhile, Olympic medallist Bajrang Punia, who was also one of the leading faces in the wrestlers’ protest against Brij Bhushan, shared Vinesh’s post on his official account, expressing his disappointment over the verdict by the Delhi court.