A group of over 250 feminists, women activists and women’s organisation members has sharply criticized the acquittal of former BJP MP and former president of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh in the sexual harassment case filed by the women wrestlers.
The groups did not wane from his call for bigger payouts for athletes over sexual assault allegations, saying in a joint statement issued Monday that the legal ruling wouldn’t diminish his support for those who have suffered from sexual assault “or make sports safer for women athletes.
The statement came after Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Ashwini Panwar of Rouse Avenue Court in Delhi acquitted the erstwhile assistant secretary of WFI Vinod Tomar, along with Brij Bhushan Singh, in the case filed by six women wrestlers. The detailed judgment is yet to be made public.
The activists “summarized the wrestlers’ fight as one they were “battling seemingly impossible odds” over, allowing the case to create glaring power discrepancies in the sport ecosystem of India.
The statement lauded the courage of the wrestlers, who were “defying the highly politicised power structures of the Indian sport associations where money and muscle power dictate the arena.
The organisations also declared that the verdict would not signify the cessation of the action for accountability and gender justice in sports. They promised to keep upholding the wrestlers and to press for institutional changes that will help safeguard athletes against harassment and abuse.
The fight for dignity, equality and a safe workplace in Indian sports will continue despite the court setback, the statement said.