Wrestlers free to challenge Centre revoking WFI suspension: Delhi HC
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Tuesday said Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik among others could challenge the Centre revoking the suspension of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI).
A bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela also requested the single judge, hearing the wrestlers' plea against the 2023 WFI election, to expedite the proceedings.
The Centre on March 10 revoked its order suspending the WFI on December 24, 2023 for lapses in governance and procedural integrity by the new body, elected on December 21, the same year, and restored its status as a national sports federation.
The bench, while closing the proceedings on WFI's appeal against the single judge's order on restoring Indian Olympic Association's (IOA) ad-hoc committee to run its affairs, observed the committee had to work only till the Centre's suspension was in force.
Referring to the March 10 decision, the court observed nothing remained to be adjudicated in the WFI appeal.
"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 appropriate court," it said.
During the hearing, the counsel appearing for the wrestlers expressed "shock" over the "treatment" meted out to players "in this country" and objected to the WFI's claim that due to its non-recognition, the players did not make it to about six tournaments previously.
"Everything they have done in the order is what I was preempting on the last occasion," he said. The report of the spot inspection which formed the basis of the revocation was not available to them, he added.
The bench reiterated it wanted to ensure participation of the Indian team in the upcoming Asian Championship in Jordan and said the Centre's decision was not under challenge before it.
Wrestlers could initiate appropriate proceedings for the "supporting documents" related to the revocation of suspension, the bench added.
The Centre's counsel said the decision to recall the suspension of the WFI was taken on March 10 and certain directions were issued to the federation to ensure the "continuing obligation to ensure fairness and transparency".
He said remedies were available to Punia and others if they were aggrieved.
The IOA then withdrew its appeal.
In the revocation order, the union sports ministry said since the WFI took compliant measures, it was decided to lift the suspension in the larger interest of the sport and athletes.
The ministry, however, asked the WFI to follow certain directions, such as ensuring the balance of power among the elected office bearers, and distancing itself from the suspended or terminated officials.
Celebrated wrestlers Punia, Phogat, Malik and her husband Satyawart Kadian demanded the arrest of outgoing WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh for the alleged sexual harassment of seven women grapplers and moved the high court in 2024 for setting aside and declaring as illegal the elections held to elect the office bearers of the federation.
On August 16, 2024, the single judge restored the mandate of IOA's ad-hoc committee for WFI in its interim order and said till the sports ministry's suspension order was not recalled, it was necessary for the committee to manage the federation's affairs.
