WFI vs Wrestlers: Bajrang, Vinesh and Sakshi challenge WFI elections; Delhi HC asks for Centre, federation's reply

The Delhi High Court has fixed 7 March as the date to hear the petition filed by wrestlers Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik and her husband Satyawart Kadian for declaring the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) elections of December 2023 as illegal and set the elected body aside. In the WFI elections last year, Sanjay Kumar Singh, a close aide of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, swept the polls.

The Delhi HC on Monday also sought responses from the Central Government and WFI regarding the petition filed by the wrestlers, who had led the protest against former WFI chief Brij Bhushan last year for alleged sexual harassment of women wrestlers.

Hearing the matter on Monday, Justice Sachin Datta issued notice to the Central government, WFI and Ad-Hoc Committee of WFI. He also gave Central Government’s standing counsel Anil Soni time till 7 March to get clarity on the matter.

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The wrestlers were represented by senior advocate Rahul Mehra in the court, while senior advocate Dayan Krishnan represented the WFI.

As per the plea, WFI elections, which were held on 21 December 2023, were a violation of the National Sports Code. It also sought court’s directive towards federation to “cease and desist” from taking any decisions regarding wrestling in the country.

“The petitioner prays the court may be pleased to set aside and declare elections held by R2/WFI on December 21, 2023 as illegal and void ab-initio since the same has been held in blatant violation of the sports code,” the petition said.

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The petition accused wrestling federation of multiple wrongdoings.

“The present writ petition is being filed by the petitioners inter alia assailing, challenging, and seeking directions against the illegal action of the suspended Wrestling Federation of India conducting selection trials for the Senior Asian Wrestling Championships 2024 and Asian Olympic Games Qualifier Wrestling Tournament notified through its circular dated February 26, 2024 against the directives of the ad-hoc Committee for Wrestling Federation of India,” the petition said.

“The petitioners would like to place on record that apart from them, there are many other athletes/wrestlers who are also facing similar harassment owing to their upright/honest stand against respondent no. 2/WFI and its officials over the illegalities by respondent no.2 in collusion and under instructions of respondent no. 2’s/WFI former President and member of Parliament from Kaiserganj constituency namely Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.”

The petitioners also accused the WFI of trying to “muffle the voices of the protesting petitioners” and stop them from participating in international tournaments.

“Every possible means have been deployed by respondent no. 2/WFI to muffle the voices of the protesting petitioners and deprive them from any future scope of participation at the international level irrespective of their merit and competence,” it said.

The petitioners urged the court to allow the ad-hoc committee to run the day-to-day affairs of WFI or appoint a retired Supreme Court judge as an administrator.

The petition said WFI is a “habitual offender” as it has multiple times intentionally ignored directions by Sports Ministry and the ad-hoc committee, hurting the sport in India.