I am one of Brij Bhushan’s six victims, reveals wrestler Vinesh Phogat | India News
Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh sexual harassmentThe announcement comes just days ahead of Brij Bhushan’s return to a ranking tournament in his stronghold of Gonda, marking his first appearance in nearly 20 months since his retirement in December last year.Vinesh, a two-time World Championship medalist and three-time Olympian, had not identified himself publicly earlier, citing ongoing legal proceedings. In a 4-minute, 22-second Instagram video, he said “certain circumstances” compelled him to speak out despite the matter being pending.“SC guidelines say that no victim’s identity should be disclosed…but today, in certain circumstances, I want to tell you something,” Vinesh said, adding, “I myself am one of the six victims who have filed a complaint, and our testimony is still going on.”
Wrestlers have flagged fears of bias at the Gonda event
Vinesh raised serious concerns about the fairness and venue of the competition, alleging that it was being held at Brij Bhushan’s base and an institution associated with him.“For a woman, it’s very difficult to compete in such conditions,” she said. “He has his own private college, and holding these competitions there… It’s almost impossible that every hard-working athlete gets what they deserve.”WFI president Sanjay Singh said the venue of the national open ranking tournament in Gonda would not be changed and a “personal guarantee” would be given for its safety.Vinesh is also an MLA now, having won the Jhulana seat in Haryana in 2024 on a Congress ticket. Calling for transparency about the venue, he said, “If anything untoward happens to me, my team or supporters, the Indian government will be responsible”.He alleged that the officiating and scoring could be influenced by Singh’s loyalists.
Brij Bhushan will control the points of the bout: Vinesh
“Who will referee whose match, how many points the referee will award… All this will be controlled by Brij Bhushan and his men. And the government and our sports ministry are watching as silent spectators,” added Vinesh, now also an MLA after winning from Jhulana seat in Haryana in 2024 on a Congress ticket.Sanjay Singh told PTI that “If Vinesh is concerned about his safety, I assure him that I am taking his personal guarantee. Also, we have UWW-approved referees to officiate and all trial bouts are recorded, so there is no chance of bias”.“And let me add that this is an open tournament which is not mandatory. It is his choice to compete. We are not going to change the venue,” Singh said.Vinesh was a central figure in the 2023 Yantar Mantar protests, where the country’s top female wrestlers accused Brij Bhushan of intimidation and sexual harassment and demanded accountability from the WFI.The case against Brij Bhushan, who has denied all allegations, is in court with the victim’s testimony still being recorded. When contacted, Singh declined to comment, saying the matter was under judicial consideration.His comeback tournament, the National Open Ranking scheduled from May 10 to 12 in Gonda, is part of the Senior Open Ranking Series and will see him compete in the 57 kg category.The event serves as a pathway for wrestlers aiming to enter the national camp and stake a claim to the Asian Games trials.
