Wrestlers can challenge Centre revoking WFI suspension: HC
The Delhi High Court on Tuesday said wrestlers Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik, among others, could challenge the Centre’s decision to revoke the suspension of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI).
A Bench of Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela also urged the single judge, who is hearing the wrestlers’ plea against the 2023 WFI election, to expedite the proceedings.
The Centre had, on March 10, lifted the suspension imposed on the WFI on December 24, 2023, citing governance lapses by the new body elected on December 21 that year.
Restoring its status as a national sports federation, the ministry said the decision was taken in the larger interest of the sport and athletes.
The Bench observed that the Indian Olympic Association’s (IOA) ad-hoc committee had to function only until the Centre’s suspension order was in effect. Consequently, it closed proceedings on the WFI’s appeal against the single judge’s order that had reinstated the IOA committee.
“Needless to state, it will be open to any party, if aggrieved by the order dated March 10 passed by the sports ministry, to challenge the same before the appropriate court,” the Bench stated.
The Bench, however, emphasised that its primary concern was ensuring the participation of the Indian wrestling team in the upcoming Asian Championship in Jordan. It reiterated that the Centre’s decision was not under challenge before it at the moment.
The wrestlers had been protesting against former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh who was accused of sexual harassment charges. They had also moved the HC in 2024, challenging the validity of the WFI elections. On August 16, 2024, a single-judge Bench had, in an interim order, restored the mandate of the IOA’s ad-hoc committee to manage WFI’s affairs.
