WFI being run from premises alleged for sexual harassment: Sports Ministry

New Delhi: In a massive crackdown against the former WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh's camp, the Union Sports Ministry on Sunday suspended the newly elected body of Wrestling Federation of India.

The WFI elections were held on December 21 with former president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh's loyalist, Sanjay Singh, and his panel winning 13 of the 15 posts the polls by big margins.

Sanjay Singh, the UP Wrestling Association vice-president hailing from Varanasi, secured 40 votes as against seven of his rival and 2010 Commonwealth Games gold medallist Anita Sheoran.

In its suspension order, the ministry said that the new body appeared to be in complete control of the previous office bearers, against whom allegations of sexual harassment had been made.

"Newly elected body appears to be in complete control of former office bearers in complete disregard to the Sports Code," the ministry said.

"The business of the Federation is being run from the premises controlled by former office bearers. Which is also alleged premises wherein sexual harassment of the players have been alleged and presenty the court is hearing the matter," it further added.

However, the ministry’s suspension order appears to be triggered by the controversy after the newly elected president Sanjay Singh announced U-15 and U-20 nationals to take place in Nandini Nagar, Gonda (UP) before the end of this year.

Sanjay Singh had on Friday announced that the U15 and U20 Nationals will be held from December 28-30 in Gonda, Uttar Pradesh.

In a statement, the Sports Ministry said that the announcement for national competitions was hasty and that due process was not followed.

A huge controversy erupted when WFI secretary general Prem Chand Lochab objected the decisions of president Sanjay Singh without taking him in confidence.

The ministry cited that the WFI body had shown complete disregard for the existing rules and regulations.

The ministry cited that the president of the newly elected body - Sanjay Kumar Singh - announced on 21 December that the junior national competitions will begin before the end of this year. The ministry detailed that this was against the rules and at least a 15-day notice was needed so that the wrestlers could prepare.

"Such decisions (holding nationals) are to be taken by Executive Committee, before which agendas are required to be placed for consideration. As per Article XI of the WFI constitution under the Heading 'Notices and Quorum for Meetings', minimum notice period for EC meeting is 15 clear days and quorum is of 1/3rd of representatives. Even for Emergency EC meeting, minimum notice period is 7 clear days with quorum requirement of 1/3rd of representatives," the ministry said in its press release.

Sakshi Malik, Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat had addressed media after Sanjay Singh's election in which Sakshi, a bronze medallist at the 2016 Rio Olympics, announced that she would quit the sport as a mark of protest.

The three top wrestlers had accused Brij Bhushan of sexually exploiting several women wrestlers.

Punia on Friday returned his Padma Shri award to the government.

The aggrieved wrestlers had taken to the streets, did sit-in protests, forcing the government and the judiciary to intervene and resolve the matter, which included the formation of special panels to look into their complaints and grievances against Brij Bhushan and the federation he was leading, even as the grapplers contemplated throwing away their medals into river Ganga on May 19 in Haridwar.