Delhi High Court's Wrestle with WFI, IOA Over Control and Legitimacy

The Delhi High Court asked the Centre to respond to WFI's plea against allowing IOA to reform an ad-hoc panel to manage WFI. WFI contested an order allowing IOA's panel dissolution while its suspension was effective after December 2023 elections. Wrestlers sought to nullify elections due to alleged misconduct.

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday requested a response from the Centre regarding the Wrestling Federation of India's (WFI) challenge against the Indian Olympic Association's (IOA) decision to reform an ad-hoc panel intended to manage the federation's operations.

A bench, led by Acting Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru alongside Justice Tushar Rao Gedela, granted the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports three weeks to respond, scheduling the hearing for February 5, 2025.

The WFI contested an August 16 interim order from HC's single-judge bench which argued that the IOA's dissolution of the ad-hoc committee conflicted with the sports ministry's suspension of WFI after its December 2023 elections.

The single judge emphasized the necessity of the ad-hoc committee's role in managing the WFI's affairs until the suspension was lifted. This order originated from wrestlers Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik, and her husband Satyawart Kadian's plea.

The WFI appealed for interim relief, seeking to stall the August 16 order during the current proceedings. The wrestlers spearheaded the 2023 protests that demanded action against outgoing WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh over sexual harassment allegations.

They approached the high court to nullify the WFI's December elections, citing legal inconsistencies. Sanjay Singh, a Brij Bhushan loyalist, emerged as the new WFI leader on December 21, 2023, amid rising controversies.

However, the Centre quickly suspended the WFI's operations on December 24, 2023, postulating constitutional breaches during critical decisions, and instructed the IOA to form an ad-hoc committee to oversee WFI activities.

The United World Wrestling reversed the WFI's suspension in February, leading to the IOA's dissolution of the ad-hoc panel by March 18.

Petitioners sought to suspend the operations of the WFI, redirecting it from functioning as a legitimate national body for wrestling.

(With inputs from agencies.)