A Delhi court on Tuesday (May 12, 2026) recorded the testimony of Special Investigation Team (SIT) members while examining the allegations of sexual harassment levelled by women wrestlers against former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president and ex-BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.

Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Ashwani Panwar of the Rouse Avenue Court recorded the statement of SIT Inspector Sandeep and directed the Investigating Officer to depose on May 15 and 19.

Several renowned wrestlers, including Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia, and Sangeeta Phogat had protested for months in New Delhi in 2023, demanding the arrest of the BJP leader for allegedly sexually harassing several women grapplers, including a minor. The complaint stated that the harassment took place between 2016 and 2019 at the WFI office, at Mr. Singh’s official residence, and also during trips abroad.

Trial statements recorded

As the grapplers’ protest continued for weeks, the Union Sports Ministry had constituted an oversight committee to internally investigate the matter.

The police filed an FIR against Mr. Singh and former WFI assistant secretary Vinod Tomar after the intervention of the Supreme Court in May 2023. In June that year, a 1,000-page chargesheet was filed in the court.

Over the last two years, the court has recorded the trial statements of victims, witnesses, and Mr. Singh. However, a minor wrestler later took back her complaint and changed her statement.

Ms. Phogat, who is also a Congress MLA from Haryana, recently disclosed that she was among the victims in the case, almost three years after the initial sexual harassment complaints.

Mr. Singh has maintained that the case is politically motivated.

Double World championships bronze medalist Vinesh Phogat’s comeback bid after a sabbatical following the Paris Olympics hit a roadblock when the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) found her ineligible as per a United World Wrestling (UWW) rule, which requires retired athletes to inform the world body six months prior to their intended return to competition. With an eye on the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, Phogat — a prominent face in the 2023 wrestlers’ protest and one of the six women who brought allegations of sexual harassment and started a legal battle against former WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh — was aiming for a brave comeback in the Open Ranking tournament at the Nandini Nagar Mahavidyalaya; Brij Bhushan, also a Gonda strongman and former BJP Member of Parliament, owns it. The National Federation, which is headed by Brij Bhushan’s close aide Sanjay Singh, also issued a show-cause notice to Phogat on three separate, prominent grounds. Firstly, that she did not adhere to the 50kg weight limit and was disqualified after reaching the final at the Paris Olympics. It resulted in her disqualification, a loss of medal and negative publicity. Second, as an athlete in the registered testing pool, who is required to give a time slot every day and be available for dope tests, she had multiple whereabouts failures, including on December 18, shortly after announcing her comeback. Third, Phogat violated a UWW rule by competing in two weight categories, 50kg and 53kg, at a selection trial in March 2024 for an Olympic qualifying event.

But the timing of the show-cause notice and the charges, which Phogat has rubbished, raises doubts about the intentions behind it. As for the Paris fiasco, it happened two years ago. Under World Anti-Doping Agency rules, three missed tests and/or filing failures within a 12-month period constitute an anti-doping rule violation. It is, however, not applicable in Phogat’s case. Moreover, the UWW and National Anti-Doping Agency are the authorities concerned to deal with doping issues. The trials, in which Phogat participated in two weights, were held by an ad hoc body as the WFI was not recognised by the government at the time. As a parent body, the WFI should have shown maturity in handling Phogat’s comeback. Instead, it clubbed together different matters spanning two years to thwart the 31-year-old’s return. Phogat, who is a Congress legislator from Haryana, has shown her strong temperament and is working with her legal team to respond to the show-cause notice within 14 days. Meanwhile, the UWW should step in to stop the ugly bout between a decorated wrestler and the WFI. India can do without further embarrassment on this score.

The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) on Saturday (May 9, 2026) show-caused double World championships medallist Vinesh Phogat on different grounds, including her failure to stick to the weight restriction at the Paris Olympics, anti-doping issues (multiple whereabouts failures) and participating in two weight categories during the trials for an Olympic qualifier.

Besides, the WFI shot down Vinesh’s attempt to come back to competitive wrestling — at the Senior Open Ranking tournament starting on the Nandininagar Mahavidyalaya campus on Sunday (May 10) — following her post-Paris “sabbatical.” It said Vinesh informed the world body, United World Wrestling (UWW), about her return less than six months ago, the minimum stipulation for a retired athlete to make a comeback.

It’s learnt that there is a written record of Vinesh’s retirement and her decision to return to competition.

In the 15-page show-cause, the WFI highlighted the issue of Vinesh failing to meet the weight stipulation on the second day after reaching the 50kg final at the Paris Olympics. It said Vinesh was “duty-bound” under UWW rules to stick to the limit and her disqualification resulted in a loss of medal, negative publicity and reputational damage to the WFI.

The WFI said Vinesh committed whereabouts (where an athlete on the registered testing pool gives time slots and makes herself available to give samples for dope testing) failures, including twice in 2024 and the one on December 18, 2025, soon after she informed authorities concerned about her resumption of training with an eye on Los Angeles 2028.

The federation said it must satisfy itself that Vinesh had not committed any anti-doping rule violation that would render her ineligible to participate in any event, including the Open Ranking event “which is in any case prior to your six months completion from your date of resumption.”

The WFI also accused Vinesh of violating the UWW rule by competing in two weights, 50kg and 53kg trials (which was conducted by an ad-hoc committee as the WFI was not recognised by the Government then), in March 2024.

The federation gave Vinesh 14 days to give an explanation.

Meanwhile, the Open Ranking event here will provide a chance to several talented wrestlers to enter the National camp.