The Delhi High Court on Tuesday issued notice to the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports on a plea filed by the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) challenging its suspension.Justice Subramonium Prasad heard the matter and gave the Central government four weeks to respond to the plea.The matter will be heard next on May 28.WFI was suspended by the Central government through a communication issued on December 24, 2023. This was done just days after Sanjay Singh – a close aide of former WFI President Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh – won the WFI elections and took control of the top wrestling body.The Sports Ministry had cited hasty decisions taken by the WFI and said that the new leadership had shown complete disregard for rules and regulations.It then asked the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) to constitute an ad-hoc body to control and manage the affairs of the WFI.Notably, the ad-hoc committee constituted to manage the affairs of the WFI has also been dissolved by the IOA.Senior Advocate Dayan Krishnan appeared for the WFI today and told the Court that the Ministry’s order was in complete violation the principles of natural justice and the National Sports Development Code of India, 2011.Krishnan stated that the WFI was suspended without notice even though the Sports Code itself contemplates that a show cause notice must be issued to the body before a decision to suspend a federation like WFI is taken.
TAGS: Delhi High Court Wrestling Federation of India WFI suspension Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports
