Gonda (Uttar Pradesh): Former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh on Monday addressed recent remarks by the Rouse Avenue Court following his acquittal in a sexual harassment case, alleging that the wrestlers who brought the complaints had connections to a specific training centre and political groups.

Speaking to ANI, Singh asserted that the court's observations underscored the role of a specific akhada (wrestling academy) and raised doubts over the circumstances surrounding the accusations.

"The coach and the akhada that have been named are, in a sense, very special to the Hooda family. It was primarily athletes from this specific akhada who emerged, rather than wrestlers from other akhadas across Haryana... this point was reflected in the judgment as well," he said.

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He further maintained that testimonies provided by two wrestlers before the judge were considered when the verdict was delivered.

"Two of the wrestlers who had levelled allegations detailed exactly what had transpired in the privacy of the judge's chambers. The court placed these statements on record, and the judgment was subsequently delivered based on this testimony," Singh said.

The former WFI chief also pointed to inconsistencies regarding the contact addresses submitted by the complainants, claiming that wrestlers from multiple districts provided identical records.

"Another significant detail is that they all share a single address. Although the wrestlers hail from various districts, they all listed the same address: Bajrang Punia's residence in Sonipat," he alleged.

Commenting on political influence, Singh alleged that members of the Hooda family were the first to intervene in the matter.

"Regarding political involvement, the Hooda family was the first to emerge. We will wait to see what move they make," he added.

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Earlier, the Rouse Avenue Court observed that the claims made against Singh appeared politically motivated and fabricated. The court also noted that the prosecution failed to substantiate the charges, while cited prosecution witnesses turned hostile during proceedings.

Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (MP-MLA Court) Ashwani Panwar on 3 August acquitted Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and Vinod Tomar in the sexual harassment case registered following complaints by female wrestlers.

Although the full ruling has not been made public, it raised several questions regarding how the accusations were raised against the defendants. The court highlighted that the women wrestlers submitted their complaints simultaneously, despite the alleged incidents occurring across different dates and locations.

The court further noted that several complainants maintained contact with the accused following the alleged events, even extending invitations to the former WFI head for family gatherings and weddings, which cast doubt on the credibility of the claims.

ANI