New Delhi: Former SAI coach Ajit Singh on Sunday lashed out at international referee Jagbir Singh for allegedly "spreading lies" against the outgoing President of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
Brij Bhushan is currently under scrutiny after top Indian wrestlers, including Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat, and Sakshi Malik, demanded his arrest for alleged sexual harassment of women grapplers.
Jagbir on Thursday claimed that he has been a witness to Brij Bhushan's inappropriate behaviour towards female grapplers on several occasions since 2013.
To this, renowned wrestling coach, Ajit Singh, said, "Whatever, Jagbir is saying is a complete lie. I have known Jagbir since we were together in NIS for a diploma course. Like for more than 30 years. He is famous for the All India Police Games, where he officiates.
"He became the leader of other junior referees and made a nexus, where they used to take money from wrestlers to help them win medals like gold or silver. Firstly they will give the said wrestlers an easy pool and then help them win medals. He is famous among junior wrestlers for this. And when the WFI tightened the noose around this fraud, he became agitated and now got a chance to spread lies against Brij Bhushan. He has no proof to justify whatever he is saying," Ajit Singh told IANS. "Jagbir said that in Phuket, Brij Bhushan harassed some women wrestlers and was heavily drunk. But I spoke to one of the hosts of that dinner in Thailand and he clearly said that nothing like this had happened."
Jagbir, who has been a coach-cum-international referee since 2007, had said he witnessed Brij Bhushan's misbehaviour with his own eyes on numerous occasions.
"If Brij Bhushan was a habitual offender like what Jagbir is saying then why not a single complaint given by this fraud referee to anyone in WFI or SAI or ministry? And why did Jagbir not point it out at that time, right there? He is a wrestler, someone teasing a girl in front of him and he did nothing?
"He just stood there and let it happen? Or if he was that scared then he should have made a video of it, or clicked a picture since Brij Bhushan was 'habitual', he (Jagbir) could have planned it that way. Nowadays everyone has a mobile, everyone is a journalist now. How tough is it to click (a photograph)? But nobody did anything because nothing took place. Jagbir is nothing but an opportunist whose business of Police Games got over after WFI intervention," Ajit Singh emphasised.
Despite several calls, Jagbir was unavailable for his comment on the allegations levelled against him.—IANS
