Entire system protected him; fight is not lost,'; Vinesh Phogat responds to Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh's acquittal

NEW DELHI: Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat reacted to the court's acquittal of former Indian Wrestling Federation president and former BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh in a sexual assault case. Vinesh clarified that the fight for justice will continue.

"The entire system tried to protect Brij Bhushan. I vow to continue the legal battle. We were able to take to the streets against a powerful leader of the ruling party and even get an FIR registered. It took a lot of courage to do that. Brij Bhushan used his political influence to intimidate many women into withdrawing their complaints. We have not lost hope. We will approach the Supreme Court against this verdict. We will continue the fight until we get justice," Vinesh responded.

The Delhi court dismissed all charges against Brij Bhushan and former WFI assistant secretary Vinod Tomar. The court accepted the defence's argument that there were contradictions in the statements and evidence in the case. Brij Bhushan, who had maintained his innocence from the beginning, had reiterated his stance even after the verdict. Singh said he had full faith in the court's verdict.

Sexual assault allegations levelled by female wrestlers in 2023 led to nationwide protests. Prominent athletes like Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik, and Bajrang Punia staged a long protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi against the authoritarian attitude of Brij Bhusan Singh.