Delhi HC grills IOA over failure to follow order on WFI affairs

The Delhi High Court grilled the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) over its failure to abide by an order about the re-constitution of an ad-hoc committee for the operation of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI).

The WFI has been serving a ban by the sports ministry since December 24, 2023, three days after Sanjay Singh, a Brij Bhushan loyalist, was elected the new WFI chief in the polls.

Justice Sachin Datta, who was hearing a review petition filed by the IOA, said the federation filed the petition in the guise of seeking clarifications about their move on the order passed on August 16, 2024.

“It is a review in the guise of clarification. The order was passed on August 16, 2024 and it is already six months. In law today, the ad-hoc committee is in charge,” Justice Datta said.

He added: “I have noticed one thing, the IOA has taken proactive steps in the National Games, it has appointed ad-hoc committees, then why is it so reluctant to do so here?”

In the interim order, the court stated that the IOA’s decision to dissolve the ad-hoc committee was not prudent with the sports ministry ordering suspension of the WFI shortly after its December 2023 election.

The wrestlers, who were at the forefront of a 2023 protest at the Jantar Mantar, demanding the arrest of outgoing WFI chief and BJP leader Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh for the alleged sexual harassment of seven female grapplers, had moved the high court last year for setting aside and declaring as illegal the election held to choose the office-bearers of the federation.

Last year, the Delhi HC restored the mandate of the IOA’s ad-hoc committee, constituted for running the WFI’s affairs on a plea by celebrated wrestlers Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik and her husband, Satyawart Kadian.

While the sports ministry’s suspension of the WFI continues, in February 2024, the United World Wrestling (UWW), the world body for the sport, lifted the WFI’s suspension, prompting the IOA to also dissolve its ad-hoc committee on March 18.