Wrestlers demand sports ministry release sexual harassment probe report

With the report of the Oversight Committee inquiry into allegations of sexual harassment against the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and other officials yet to be made public by the Union Sports Ministry, the federation has announced competitions in Gonda, Uttar Pradesh and is gearing up for a possible election in May.

This development has come as a jolt to the protesting wrestlers, who slammed the ministry and questioned the 'fairness' of the probe.

It is learnt that a meeting of all 28 WFI units is likely to be held at Nandini Nagar in Gonda on the sidelines of the U-17 national championships and Senior Open National Ranking Wrestling Tournament scheduled from April 16-18. The place is a stronghold of Singh, and according to top WFI officials he may even chair the meeting. Singh has completed three terms in office and is ineligible to contest as per the National Sports Code provisions. His tenure expires this month. WFI plans to hold elections in New Delhi in the second week of May, according to a top WFI official.

“The AGM on January 22 had to be cancelled as per government direction. We will hold the meeting now as there are several important matters, including the election, that the house needs to discuss,” said a WFI official on condition of anonymity.

Asked whether Singh would chair the meeting, the official said, “Why not? He was asked to step aside till the probe was completed and he did that. We will take legal opinion on the issue. If he is not available, the senior vice-president will preside,” he added.

The six-member Oversight Committee headed by woman boxing great MC Mary Kom, submitted its report in the first week of April, but the ministry has maintained silence over it. On Monday, there was no response from the sports ministry to queries about the status of the report and when the findings would be released.

The panel was formed by the ministry following unprecedented protests by the country’s top wrestlers, including Olympic and world medallists who accused Brij Bhushan and some WFI officials of sexual harassment. The panel was initially given four weeks to complete the probe and also asked to run WFI’s day-to-day affairs. It was formed on January 23 and its term was later extended by two weeks. WFI officials resumed their roles at the start of April. It is learnt that 15 women wrestlers deposed before the committee.

“As per ministry's instructions, WFI had stopped all activities for six weeks. We have cooperated with the Oversight Committee and followed all the directions of the ministry," said another senior WFI functionary. “The federation has been allowed to resume its functioning, including communication with the world governing body, United World Wrestling (UWW)."

Tokyo Olympic medallist Bajrang Punia, who was among the wrestlers who protested -- Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik, Ravi Dahiya and Deepak Punia were among the others -- expressed surprise at the WFI officials resuming work.

“When the committee's report has not come out, how can WFI start normal functioning?" Punia asked. “There are also reports that one member of the committee has signed it with objections. So, we don't know what is happening here. We don’t want wrestling to suffer. It is a serious matter, otherwise we would not have come out and protested on the streets. We want justice.”

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