New Delhi: Delhi Court granted bail to Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who is not only a BJP Member of Parliament but also the outgoing Chief of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI). This decision comes amid the ongoing investigation into a sexual harassment case involving wrestlers. The case has drawn considerable attention and scrutiny, given Singh’s prominent roles in both politics and the national wrestling governing body.
The Delhi High Court took a significant step on Thursday by instructing the ad-hoc panel responsible for the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) affairs to explain the reasons behind exempting top wrestlers, Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia, from the Asian Games trials. The court’s directive came during a hearing on a petition filed by Under-20 World Champion Antim Panghal and Under-23 Asian Champion Sujeet Kalkal, who raised concerns over the direct entry granted to Phogat and Punia without undergoing trials.
Justice Subramonium Prasad, presiding over the case, emphasized the need for a justifiable basis for the exemption. The court requested the ad-hoc WFI panel to present the laurels achieved by the two wrestlers and clarify the selection process, as the petitioners argued that past performance alone should not form the sole criterion for selection.
The court also observed that while Phogat and Punia’s merits were acknowledged, selection decisions should not solely rely on past achievements. The selection policy allows exemptions for certain categories of players, including medallists of Olympic/World Championships, if recommended by the Chief Coach/Foreign Expert.
The petitioners contended that the exemption granted to Phogat and Punia was not in line with the exemption policy, asserting that there were no recommendations from chief coaches or foreign experts for the direct entry. Their petition sought the quashing of the directive issued by the Indian Olympic Association’s ad-hoc committee regarding the two weight categories (men’s freestyle 65kg and women’s 53kg) and the setting aside of the exemption given to the wrestlers.
Notably, Phogat and Punia were given direct entry to the Asian Games, while other wrestlers are required to earn their places through selection trials scheduled for July 22 and 23. This development has sparked controversy and concerns over the fairness of the selection process for the quadrennial event.