Bhopal sports official acquitted of molestation charges after 6 years:Says wife suffered depression; daughter faced marriage setbacks, people tell her, ‘Your father is a rapist’

A Bhopal Special (POCSO) Court has acquitted 53-year-old Bharat Singh Sikarwar, a former respected sports official, of charges of molesting a minor player after a legal battle that lasted six years. The prolonged case had deeply affected his personal and family life, leaving him and his loved ones struggling under social stigma and emotional distress. My daughter was not getting married. Wherever we took a proposal, people would say, ‘You are a rapist.’ In these 6 years, everything changed—my honour, my respect, my family. My wife went into depression. This is not just me; my entire family has had to endure this. During these six years, Bharat Singh and his family went through immense hardship. Bhaskar spoke to him to understand how his life changed, how the case affected his family, and what mental stress he faced. Read the full report… Impact on family and children Bharat Singh says the allegation hit his family the hardest. His sons, aged 28 and 26, and his 24-year-old daughter are all unmarried, as no family member wanted to form a relationship with someone facing such a grave charge. He says his daughter’s marriage talks would stop even before they began, and at times he feared she may have doubted him too, a pain he describes as unbearable for any father. The shock also pushed his wife into deep depression, and her health remains fragile even today. Life savings sold out in the fight for justice Sikarwar says the six-year fight for justice drained him financially. He travelled from Sheopur to Bhopal 72 times, spending about Rs 1.5 lakh on travel alone. He paid Rs 1.5 lakh to a Jabalpur High Court lawyer, Rs 25,000 to lawyers in Bhopal when the case began, Rs 65,000 to another lawyer to fight the case, and Rs 55,000 for his reinstatement process. In total, he spent over Rs 6 lakh during this legal ordeal. Demanded 50 lakh in the name of settlement
Sikarwar also made an accusation. According to him, he faced a demand of 50 lakh rupees to settle the case. He said, I was told that if I settle, I would have to pay 50 lakh rupees. I am a teacher, where would I get so much money from? Pressure was put on me to sell the plot kept for my daughter’s wedding and pay the money. Social ostracism and loneliness
This case also isolated him socially. Sikarwar used to run a YouTube channel where he uploaded his sermons given by visiting various villages. This was his passion, but after the case, all of it stopped. He says, People started looking at me with suspicion. Social interaction decreased. I read in newspapers every day that people commit suicide due to false cases. It is God’s grace that I am alive; otherwise, I too could have done anything in depression. Not everyone can fight such a big battle. Battle not over after acquittal Despite the court’s acquittal, Bharat Singh’s struggle continues. He has been suspended for four years, and about Rs 25 lakh of his salary remains withheld. He says that if he had been convicted, he would have lost both his salary and pension, even though nine years of service remain. He fears that some departmental officials who tried to frame him may challenge the verdict in the High Court. Bharat Singh says his only wish is that no one—not even my enemy—should suffer what he went through. He adds that he blames no one and has complete faith in God, saying this faith saved him from the fate of many who cannot survive false accusations.