Delhi HC rejects top wrestlers’ plea against WFI elections

In a significant development, the Delhi High Court has rejected petitions submitted by prominent wrestlers Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat, and Satyawart Kadian, contesting the Wrestling Federation of India’s (WFI) elections held in December 2023, due to their absence from the court on several occasions.

At that time, Sanjay Singh was elected as the president, defeating Anita Sheoran, a candidate supported by Punia, Malik and Phogat, all Olympians.

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Justice Mini Pushkarna, who heard the matter on November 27, noted that none of the petitioners were present when the matters were taken up, and recorded that they had also remained absent for the previous two hearings.

'Petitioners do not seem interested'

“The petitioners do not seem to be interested in prosecuting the present matters,” the court said in its order.

The wrestlers had moved the high court, alleging that the WFI elections were not conducted fairly and transparently. Their plea sought intervention against what they claimed were procedural lapses and irregularities in the election process.

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Due to the petitioners’ continuous absence, the court dismissed the petitions for default and non-prosecution, thereby concluding the legal challenge against the WFI elections.

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The matter had drawn attention due to the involvement of some of India’s most decorated wrestlers, who had been at the forefront of the 2023 protests demanding reform and accountability within the governing body in wrestling.

(With Agency inputs)