From Wrestlers' Protest On Sexual Harassment Allegations Against Brij Bhushan to WFI Body Suspension | A Timeline

The Sports Ministry on Sunday suspended the new Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) body, under the leadership of Sanjay Singh. The ministry announced its decision citing that the WFI body had shown complete disregard for the existing rules and regulations.

The ministry alleged that the new body appeared to be in 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,” a press release by the ministry said.

Sanjay Singh, a close aide of the former chief of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), Brijbhushan Sharan Singh, who is facing allegations of sexual assault, was elected the new president of the wrestling body on December 21.

Singh defeated Anita Sheoran, a Commonwealth Games gold medallist who had the full support of top wrestlers who had staged protests against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh over sexual harassment allegations.

Top wrestlers including Bajrang Punia, Sakshee Malikkh, and Vinesh Phogat addressed a press briefing and expressed their disappointment over the selection of Brij Bhushan Singh’s aide as the new president of WFI.

ALSO READ: ‘None Of Us Are Safe Now’: Protesting Wrestlers Disappointed With Brij Bhushan’s Aide Winning WFI Polls

Malikkh broke down while addressing the press and said, “If Brij Bhushan Singh’s business partner and a close aide is elected as the president of WFI, I quit wrestling.”

Here’s the Timeline of the Events from Wrestlers’ Protest to WFI Elections-

• January 18: Wrestlers begin protest at Jantar Mantar, accuse WFI chief Brij Bhushan Singh Sharan of sexual exploitation and intimidation, and demand his resignation and dissolution of the federation.
• January 19: CWG champion wrestler and BJP member Babita Phogat met wrestlers, and said she would speak to the government.
• January 20: Wrestlers wrote a complaint letter to Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president PT Usha, demanding the formation of an inquiry committee to probe the allegations and the appointment of a new committee to run WFI in consultation with the wrestlers. IOA formed a seven-member committee, including M C Mary Kom and Yogeshwar Dutt, to probe the allegations of sexual harassment.
• January 21: Wrestlers called off the protest after meeting Sports Minister Anurag Thakur, who assured that an Oversight Committee will be formed to probe the allegations and Brij Bhushan will step aside till the probe is completed. WFI denied allegations of sexual harassment of women wrestlers by its president and coaches.
• January 21: The Sports Ministry asked WFI to suspend all ongoing activities with immediate effect and schedule an emergency AGM meeting of WFI. Assistant secretary of WFI Vinod Tomar was suspended.
• January 23: A 5-membered Oversight Committee (OC), led by Mary Kom, is formed to look into the allegations The committee was given 4 weeks to complete the probe.
• January 24: Protesting wrestlers express disappointment that they were not consulted by the government on the choice of the committee members.
• February 23: OC’s tenure extended by two weeks.
• April 16: WFI announces election on May 7 after the OC submits its report to the Sports Ministry. The report is not made public.
• April 23: Wrestlers return to Jantar Mantar and said that 7 female wrestlers, including a minor, filed a sexual harassment complaint against Brij Bhushan at the CP police station, claiming the police had not yet registered an FIR.

Wrestlers also asked the Sports Ministry to make OC’s findings public.

• April 24: The Sports Ministry stalled the May 7 elections and asked IOA to constitute an ad-hoc committee to conduct the polls within 45 days of its formation and also manage the sports body.
• April 25: Wrestlers moved to the Supreme Court seeking registration of FIR against Brij Bhushan. The Top Court issued a notice to Delhi police.
• April 27: A 3-member panel is formed by IOA. PT Usha says protesting wrestlers should have shown some discipline and instead of taking to the streets, should have approached the IOA.
• May 3: A scuffle broke out between the wrestlers and the Delhi Police, leading to head injuries to a couple of protesters. The protesters accused “drunk officials of manhandling” them and “misbehaving” with the female wrestlers. The altercation led to detention while some wrestlers also sustained injuries.
• May 4: The Supreme Court closed proceedings on a plea by 3 women wrestlers, who had levelled sexual harassment allegations against Brij Bhushan after noting that FIRs have been registered and the 7 complainants have been provided adequate security.
• May 5: Delhi police recorded statements of wrestlers, who had filed complaints of sexual harassment against Brij Bhushan.
• May 10: Wrestlers challenged Brij Bhushan to take the NARCO test.
• May 11: Police recorded Brij Bhushan’s statement.
• May 28: Vinesh Phogat, Sakshee Malikkh and Bajrang Punia, along with other protesters, were booked for rioting and obstructing public servants in the discharge of duty, while they attempted to march towards the new Parliament building, which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
• May 30: The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the United World Wrestling (UWW) condemn the police’s handling and detention of the Indian wrestlers, calling it “very disturbing.” Wrestlers arrived in Haridwar to immerse medals.
• June 7: The wrestlers halted the protest after Thakur assured them that the police investigation against Brij Bhushan would be concluded and the pending WFI elections would be conducted by June 30.
• June 8: The father of the minor wrestler told PTI that they deliberately filed a false police complaint of sexual harassment against the WFI chief because they wanted to get back at him.
• June 12: IOA appointed former J&K High Court Chief Justice Mahesh Mittal Kumar as the returning officer for WFI elections.
• June 13: The WFI election was scheduled for July 6.
• June 15: Delhi Police filed a charge sheet before the court.
• June 19: IOA ad-hoc panel called five disaffiliated state wrestling units for a hearing on June 21.
• June 21: The IOA ad-hoc panel rescheduled WFI elections to July 11 after five disaffiliated state bodies, seeking voting rights for the polls, presented their cases in a hearing.
• June 22: The IOA ad-hoc panel reduced the Asian Games and World Championship selection to a one-bout competition for six protesting wrestlers.
• June 23: Several coaches and parents of wrestlers demanded the withdrawal of the exemption given to six wrestlers.
• June 25: The Gauhati High Court stayed WFI elections, scheduled for July 11, on a petition filed by the Assam Wrestling Association.
• July 18: Delhi court granted interim bail to Brij Bhushan Singh.

Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat got direct entries into the Asian Games.

• July 19: Young wrestlers staged a protest in Hisar against “unfair trial exemption” for Bajrang and Vinesh. The WFI election is scheduled for August 7.
• July 20: Many junior wrestlers, their parents and coaches arrived at IOA headquarters and demanded the withdrawal of the exemption granted to Vinesh and Bajrang.

The WFI election is rescheduled for August 12.

• August 11: Punjab and Haryana High Court stayed WFI elections scheduled for August 12, following a petition filed by the Haryana Wrestling Association.
• August 23: Wresting world governing body UWW suspended WFI for not conducting its elections on time.
• December 5: WFI elections are scheduled for December 21.
• December 21: Sanjay Singh, a Brij Bhushan loyalist, elected new WFI chief with his panel comfortably winning most of the posts.
• December 21: The newly elected chief of WFI, Sanjay Singh that the junior national competitions will begin before the end of this year.
• December 24: Sports Ministry suspends the new WFI body.  The ministry stated at least a 15-day notice was needed before the announcement of junior national competitions 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 a press release.