Renowned Indian wrestler and politician Vinesh Phogat on Sunday revealed that she was one of the six female victims of sexual harassment by former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
This comes amid the ongoing investigation into Singh, who held the WFI post for over a decade and later entered politics, becoming a six-time BJP MP who was dropped from the party ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
The allegations against Singh first surfaced back in 2023, when some of the country's top wrestlers—such as Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia—joined Phogat in a high-profile protest against Singh at the Jantar Mantar in Delhi.
🇮🇳🙏 pic.twitter.com/hQrGmMLMrS
— Vinesh Phogat (@Phogat_Vinesh) May 3, 2026
Speaking about the case against him, Phogat explained in a video that she had wanted to keep her identity hidden—as per the Supreme Court's guidelines to protect sexual assault survivors' identities—and had revealed herself due to "certain circumstances".
Why did Vinesh Phogat reveal her identity as a survivor?
Phogat is eyeing a return to the wrestling mat with the National Open Ranking Tournament in Gonda, Uttar Pradesh. She will compete in the 57kg category.
However, she alleged that the trials for that tournament would be held in a private college linked to Singh, which made her feel pressure.
"I am one of the six women wrestlers who filed complaints. The case is still in court and witnesses are being examined. Competing at a place linked to him—where most people present may be associated with him—puts immense mental pressure on me,” she pointed out in the video.
The 31-year-old expressed fears that people related to Singh could influence the results and conditions of the matches, and could even cause trouble.
"I don't want any privilege or special treatment. I only want that results should reflect the hard work of athletes on the mat," she said, adding that competing in the tournament trials at that private college made her doubtful of whether she could "give (her) 100 per cent".
Her return to the wrestling world also comes nearly two years after she retired from wrestling after being disqualified from the 2024 Paris Olympics for being overweight.
She then joined politics, winning the Julana constituency in the 2024 Haryana Assembly elections.
Phogat also alleged that the government was "watching like a spectator", and had given a "free hand" to Singh.
"If any untoward incident happens to me, my team or supporters during the competition, the Indian government will be responsible," she reiterated, urging the media and the sports community to be present at the venue.
