NEW DELHI: The Sports Ministry has extended the deadline given to the Oversight Committee formed to probe the sexual harassment allegations against WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh by two weeks. The ministry extended the deadline following requests from the committee members and now it will submit its report by March 9.
“The Sports Ministry has given a two-week extension to the Oversight Committee for the submission of its report, following a request,” a ministry source told the media.
The Committee led by boxer Mary Kom was formed on January 29 to probe the matter and submit a detailed report on the allegations made by the wrestlers. The committee, which is running the day-to-day functioning of the sports body, was asked to submit its report in four weeks.
The ministry was forced to form the panel after top Indian wrestlers, including Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat, Ravi Dahiya, and Sakshi Malik, staged a sit-in protest at New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, demanding that Brij Bhushan be removed from the top post and WFI be disbanded.
The Oversight committee apart from Mary Kom has former wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt, former shuttler Trupti Murgunde, SAI member Radhica Sreeman and Rajesh Rajagopalan, ex-CEO, Target Olympic Podium Scheme and CWG gold medallist Babita Phogat as its members.
UWW, the world governing body of the sport, in view of the complaint by top wrestlers has reportedly taken away the hosting rights of the Asian Championship from India.