Vinesh Phogat Breaks Silence: “I Am One of the Six Sexual Harassment Victims Against Brij Bhushan”
The Olympic wrestler and Congress MLA has publicly confirmed for the first time that she is among the complainants in the pending court case against the former Wrestling Federation of India chief — and warns the government will be held responsible if anything goes wrong at his home turf tournament.
Olympic wrestler Vinesh Phogat has once again levelled serious allegations against former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, this time making a deeply personal disclosure that has sent shockwaves through Indian sport.
In a video shared on social media, Vinesh confirmed that she is among the six victims who filed complaints against Brij Bhushan for sexual harassment, and that her testimony is currently being heard in court.
The immediate trigger for her statement is an upcoming tournament. A Senior Open Ranking Wrestling Tournament is scheduled to be held in Gonda, Uttar Pradesh — Brij Bhushan’s home turf — between May 10 and 12. Vinesh expressed grave concern about competing there, saying it would be extremely difficult for her to give her best performance in that environment, and that it would be a tough situation for any woman wrestler.
She alleged that referees, match chairpersons, scoring, and match outcomes at the tournament would all be controlled by Brij Bhushan and his associates, while the Sports Ministry looked on as a silent spectator. Despite her reservations, she confirmed she and her team would compete — but issued a stern warning: if anything untoward happens to anyone, the responsibility will lie with the Government of India.
Vinesh explained that Supreme Court guidelines prohibit public disclosure of the identity of sexual harassment victims to protect their dignity, which is why she had stayed silent until now, even as the case remains pending in court. She said certain compulsions had forced her hand today.
The sexual harassment allegations date back to January 18, 2023, when Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik, and Bajrang Punia staged a protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi, accusing Brij Bhushan of sexually harassing women wrestlers at national camps.
Brij Bhushan, a former BJP MP whose son is currently a Member of Parliament from Uttar Pradesh, had denied all allegations, saying if the charges were proven he would be willing to face the gallows.
Vinesh, who is also a Congress MLA from Julana in Haryana, had been away from the wrestling mat for the past year and a half but has been training hard in recent months with the aim of competing at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Her return to competitive wrestling has now brought with it one of the most significant personal disclosures of this long-running and deeply troubling saga.
