Delhi Court Issues Notice on Women Wrestlers' Appeal Against Brij Bhushan Acquittal

A Delhi sessions court issued notice to Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and Vinod Tomar on an appeal filed by four women wrestlers challenging their acquittal in the sexual-harassment case.

What happened

A Delhi sessions court issued notice to Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and Vinod Tomar on an appeal filed by four women wrestlers challenging their acquittal in the sexual-harassment case. Special Judge Dig Vinay Singh listed the appeal for October 9. The appellants contend that the magistrate's August 3 judgment selectively assessed evidence and relied on stereotypical expectations about the conduct of sexual-harassment complainants. Those grounds remain allegations in the appeal and have not yet been accepted by the appellate court. Issuance of notice does not reverse the acquittal; it begins appellate scrutiny of the trial court's reasoning and evidentiary assessment.

Legal significance

The legal effect is confined to the present ruling or procedural development. Allegations and submissions are not treated as established facts.

What follows

The matter proceeds according to the operative judicial or statutory process described above.

Source: Original report