Recollections of Brij Bhushan’s inappropriate behavior against female wrestlers by international referee Jagbir Singh

International referee Jagbir Singh said on Thursday that since 2013, he has seen Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh acting inappropriately with female grapplers on a number of times.

Brij Bhushan is presently the subject of investigation after prominent Indian wrestlers including Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat, and Sakshi Malik called for his arrest for allegedly harassing female competitors.

“I have been a referee since before the protesting wrestlers were born, and I have been a UWW referee since 2007. For a long time, I’ve also known Brij Bhushan,” Jagbir told PTI.

“I couldn’t say anything since I had no power of action until the females filed complaints. But I personally saw the incident and felt awful,” he stated.

Since 2007, Jagbir, a coach and international referee, has claimed to have personally seen Brij Bhushan’s inappropriate behavior on multiple occasions.

He stated that after taking office in Kazakhstan on his second visit in 2013, the president promised to serve us Indian cuisine and planned a banquet at the hotel where the junior wrestlers were staying.

 

“I saw Brij Bhushan and his Thai associates acting inappropriately with the females when they were intoxicated.

“In the year 2022, I saw something. Two to three females were constantly with the president when he traveled inside the nation for national competitions, but we were never able to object. We have really seen that. Actually, Jagbir’s evidence to the Delhi Police supported the protesting wrestler’s claims.

When asked about Brij Bhushan’s denial of every charge, Jagbir said, “Does a thief ever say I’ve stolen? These defenses will be used by all offenders. He steadfastly refused to address the child wrestler’s father’s about-face, who claimed he had accused Brij Bhushan out of personal animosity after his daughter was treated unfairly during the U-17 Asian Championship Trials.

 

“I don’t want to remark on the father of the little girl’s comments. Even the name of the amateur wrestler escapes me. All of what I am saying is based on what I have seen with my own eyes, he said.

“On March 25, 2022, following a trial, a photo session was held, and a girl felt uneasy while standing next to the president and left the area.”