A Delhi court has officially closed the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) case filed against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the former president of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) and a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of Parliament from Uttar Pradesh. The decision follows the Delhi Police’s submission of a detailed closure report, recommending cancellation of the case due to lack of evidence.
The case revolved around serious allegations made by a minor female wrestler, whose complaint formed the basis of a second First Information Report (FIR) filed on April 28, 2023, at the Connaught Place police station. The FIR invoked multiple provisions, including Sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 354A (sexual harassment), 354D (stalking), and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code, along with Section 10 of the POCSO Act.
Court accepts closure report
On May 26, 2025, Additional Sessions Judge Gomti Manocha of the Patiala House Courts accepted the closure report filed by the Delhi Police on June 15, 2023. The report spanned 550 pages and concluded that there was no corroborative evidence to support the allegations of sexual harassment. The judge, after summoning the minor complainant to appear before the court, noted that she did not oppose the closure of the case and had expressed satisfaction with the police investigation. As per The Hindu, the judge formally recorded this by stating, “Cancellation accepted.”
The closure followed an in-camera hearing held earlier on August 1, 2023, during which the minor also stated that she had no objections to the closure report. The proceedings had been carried out with sensitivity, given the identity of the complainant and the nature of the allegations under the POCSO Act.
Background: Retraction amid alleged intimidation
However, the developments leading to the case’s closure were fraught with controversy, particularly around the complainant’s retraction of the allegations. The father of the minor wrestler—who was also the complainant in the FIR—publicly stated that he had changed his statement due to immense pressure and fear for the safety of his family.
In a statement reported by The Hindu, the father disclosed: “I changed my statement in court because I was scared… scared for my family, daughter, and myself… my family is living under constant threat.”
He further claimed that he was being threatened by unidentified individuals and that his entire family was living in intense fear. Despite these threats, he asserted that they had not withdrawn all parts of the complaint—specifically maintaining the portion that accused Singh of discriminating against his daughter.
This clarification came amid widespread confusion triggered by media reports falsely claiming that the minor had withdrawn her complaint entirely. Shortly thereafter, the father issued a “confession” in which he stated that he had fabricated the allegations of sexual harassment in anger and frustration over his daughter’s rejection from the U-17 Asian Championship.
Speaking to PTI, the father admitted: “I was filled with rage that my child’s one-year hard work had gone down the drain because of that referee’s decision in the final and I decided to take revenge.”
He attributed his grievance to the WFI leadership, stating that the referee involved in the contested match had been appointed by Brij Bhushan Singh.
“The federation appointed the referee. Who heads the federation? Who else should I be angry at?”
In the original FIR, however, the father had detailed multiple alleged incidents of inappropriate behaviour by Singh, including claims that the WFI chief touched the minor inappropriately, asked her to support him in return for his support, and pulled her forcefully toward him. He had further claimed that the minor was deeply disturbed by the alleged harassment, which continued to “haunt her.”
Despite the retraction of those specific allegations, the complainant’s father reiterated to The Hindu that they had not withdrawn the part of the complaint that alleged his daughter faced discrimination under Singh’s leadership. (Details may be read here.)
Political and social fallout
Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh has consistently denied all allegations, calling them a politically motivated conspiracy designed to malign his image. He claimed that the complaints were part of a broader campaign to discredit him.
Even as the POCSO case now stands closed, Singh still faces legal proceedings in a separate sexual harassment case filed by six adult women wrestlers. The controversy triggered a nationwide movement in 2023, with top Indian wrestlers—such as Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia, and Sangeeta Phogat—leading prolonged protests at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. The athletes alleged that Singh had harassed female wrestlers between 2016 and 2019 at various locations, including the WFI office, his official residence, and even during foreign tours. (Details may be read here.)
The public outcry eventually prompted the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports to constitute an oversight committee to examine the allegations. It was only after the Supreme Court intervened in May 2023 that the Delhi Police registered two FIRs—one involving the minor and another based on the complaints of the six other women. (Details may be read here.)
The closure of the POCSO case does not affect the ongoing prosecution in the other case. In June 2023, the Delhi Police filed a 1,000-page chargesheet at the Rouse Avenue court in connection with the adult women complainants’ case. (Details may be read here.)
Legal implications
The POCSO Act mandates stringent punishment for sexual offences involving minors, with minimum sentences starting at three years of imprisonment, depending on the sections applied. The court’s acceptance of the police’s closure report formally ends the legal proceedings against Singh under the POCSO Act, though serious questions remain about the conditions under which the complaint was withdrawn. While this development marks a significant turning point in one of the most high-profile sexual harassment cases in Indian sports history, but it also leaves unresolved concerns about witness intimidation, institutional accountability, and the safety of complainants who come forward in such cases concerning men with power.
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