The Delhi High Court on Friday
restored the mandate of IOA's ad hoc committee for Wrestling Federation of
India on a plea seeking a stay on the functioning of the WFI in its present
form and prevent it from undertaking any activity as a national federation for
the sport.
While passing the interim order
on the plea by celebrated wrestlers Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik
and her husband Satyawart Kadian, Justice Sachin Datta said it was open to the
Indian Olympic Association (IOA) re-constituting the committee.
The wrestlers, who were at the
forefront of last year's protest at Jantar Mantar demanding the arrest of
outgoing Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh
for alleged sexual harassment of seven women grapplers, had moved the high
court earlier this year for setting aside and declaring as illegal the
elections held to elect the office bearers of the federation held in December.
Sanjay Singh, a Brij Bhushan loyalist, was elected the new WFI chief in the
polls held on December 21, 2023.
In their plea for interim
relief, the petitioners had sought a stay on the functioning of the WFI in its
present form and prevent it from undertaking any activity as a national
federation for the sport of wrestling.
The Centre had suspended the WFI
on December 24, 2023, three days after it elected the new office bearers, for
allegedly not following the provisions of its own constitution while taking
decisions, and requested IOA to constitute an ad-hoc committee to manage and
control its affairs.
In February, world wrestling body UWW lifted the suspension, leading to IOA
also dissolving its ad-hoc committee for wrestling in March.
On March 4, the court had issued
notice to the central government, WFI and the ad-hoc committee of WFI on the
petition by the top grapplers.