A Delhi court acquitted former Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh in a sexual harassment case involving six female wrestlers, including Vinesh Phogat. The judgment sparked disappointment among the complainants, who plan to appeal the decision. Singh, a Bharatiya Janata Party member, expressed satisfaction with the ruling, stating that he had vowed to take his own life if the charges were proven. The case emerged following protests led by wrestlers like Phogat, Sakshi Malik, and Bajrang Punia in January 2023, who accused Singh of intimidation and harassment. Seven complainants, including a minor, alleged that Singh demanded sexual favors for professional assistance and committed 15 incidents of molestation and harassment. One woman’s allegations were dismissed earlier. In Bihar, Jan Suraaj party chief Prashant Kishor secured victory in the Bankipur bye-election, marking his political debut. The election was necessitated by the resignation of BJP National President Nitin Nabin, who transitioned to the Rajya Sabha. Bankipur, located near Patna, is traditionally a stronghold of the Hindutva party. Nabin had represented the area since 2010 after shifting from the Patna West constituency due to boundary changes. Meanwhile, in Madhya Pradesh, Congress candidate Ghanshyam Singh defeated BJP’s Ashutosh Tiwari in Datia. However, the Hindutva party retained the Manjalpur seat in Gujarat. The Supreme Court issued a clarification regarding the withdrawal of first information reports (FIRs) against youth protesters, emphasizing that states can do so where permissible under the law. This directive followed concerns that the court’s July 28 order allowing continued investigations might impede case withdrawals. The Union government reiterated its commitment to granting amnesty to student demonstrators. The ruling comes amid ongoing debates over the balance between law enforcement and civil liberties. In Assam, the government invoked the National Security Act (NSA) against land rights activist Pranab Doley, drawing criticism from the Congress. The act permits detention without trial for up to a year. Doley was arrested on July 12 for participating in a protest against a hotel project near Kaziranga National Park. After being granted bail on July 29 by a sessions court in Golaghat, he was detained under the NSA the following day. The government alleged that Doley engaged in “suspicious foreign transactions from doubtful sources,” violating the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act. Congress MP Jairam Ramesh condemned the move as “vague and speculative,” linking it to the Modi government’s tactics of silencing dissent. Ramesh highlighted similar instances in Uttar Pradesh, where labor activists were arrested under the NSA for allegedly inciting violence during a protest in Noida. Two activists, Satya Verma and Aakriti Chaudhary, were booked under the act for organizing a demonstration demanding better wages. The protest, which drew hundreds of participants, saw over 350 arrests. Ramesh argued that the use of the NSA contradicts judicial orders granting bail and undermines the rule of law. He emphasized that the Supreme Court and multiple high courts have warned against employing preventive detention laws to bypass legal processes or extend incarceration unnecessarily. The Assam government’s NSA order cited 13 police cases against Doley dating back to 2017, alleging his involvement in foreign transactions. The order claimed his actions were prejudicial to public order and state security. Despite the sessions court’s findings that no evidence supported claims of deadly weapons or assaults on women officers, the government proceeded with detention. The NSA, which allows for extended detention, has been previously used against figures like Ladakh activist Sonam Wangchuk, who was later associated with a prominent youth movement in Delhi. The controversy underscores broader tensions between state authority and individual freedoms, particularly concerning dissent and activism.
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