Delhi High Court Set to Review Wrestlers' Appeal against WFI Elections

New Delhi: The Delhi high court will on Monday hear a petition by wrestlers Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik and her husband Satyawart Kadian seeking to set aside and declare illegal the elections held by the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI).

The petition by the wrestlers, who were at the forefront of last year's protest at Jantar Mantar here, demanding the arrest of former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh for the alleged sexual harassment of seven women grapplers, is listed for hearing before Justice Sachin Datta.

The plea contends that the WFI elections, held on December 21, were in blatant violation of the sports code and sought a direction to the federation to “cease and desist” from undertaking any activity pertaining to the sport of wrestling.

The petition says: “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 against the directives of the ad-hoc committee for the WFI.”

The petitioners have also sought a direction to the ad-hoc committee to continue administering the day-to-day affairs and management of WFI or appoint a retired Supreme Court judge as an administrator to take over the affairs and management of the body.

The petition claimed the WFI has been a "habitual offender" as it has deliberately flouted directions passed by the sports ministry and the ad-hoc committee on multiple occasions, which has adversely affected the career prospects of Indian wrestlers.

While the WFI had been instructed by the ministry to abstain from the administration and management of the day-to-day activities of the federation and from undertaking any trials or conduct of any nationals, they have deliberately tried to call for nationals and selection trials and continue to organise and conduct illegal trials and events, it said.

“The petitioners most humbly prays the court may be pleased to set aside and declare elections held by R2/WFI on December 12 last year as illegal and void ab initio since the same has been held in blatant violation of the sports code,” the petition prayed.