The Punjab and Haryana high court stayed the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) elections barely 24 hours before the body was due to elect fresh members for its 15-member executive committee in the Capital.
The court directive came on a petition by the Deepender Hooda-led Haryana Wrestling Association (HWA), which challenged the decision of the returning officer to not recognise it and allow the rival Haryana Amateur Wrestling Association (HAWA) to take part in the polls. The stay has been granted until August 28, the date of the next hearing.
“As the counsel for the respective parties contend that they have the crucial right to cast vote for the elections to the Executive Committee of the WFI which is scheduled to be held tomorrow, i.e. 12.08.2023, the election of the Executive committee of WFI is ordered to be stayed till the next date of hearing,” the bench of Justice Vinod S Bhardwaj said in its interim order.
“HWA challenged the RO’s order and contended that since HAWA is not associated with the Haryana Olympic Association (HOA), they do not have the right to vote,” Ravinder Malik, counsel for the petitioner, said.
Hooda’s HWA, considered close to the protesting wrestlers, was deemed ineligible to contest the elections by RO when he heard both sides on July 21. On July 24, HWA’s RK Hooda wrote to the RO claiming that HAWA’s certificate of affiliation with the Haryana Olympic Association (HOA) was fabricated. The RO, upon examining the documents, cleared HAWA’s candidature on July 25.
HWA challenged RO’s order in HC on August 3, arguing that the signature of HOA’s treasurer on the affiliation certificate does not guarantee HAWA membership as it can only be granted by the general body. On August 7, HOA filed an affidavit through its general secretary Neeraj Tanwar, claiming HAWA is not affiliated to it. The court ruled HAWA ineligible to vote. The stay was granted at Friday’s hearing.
The latest delay in the poll process may raise the hopes of top wrestlers Sakshi Malik, Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat to bolster more support for candidates contesting against the panel of former WFI president, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh – his panel is expected to sweep the polls.
The union sports ministry suspended WFI after Malik, Punia and Phogat led the protest demanding action against Brij Bhushan for alleged sexual harassment. A Delhi court is hearing the case.
The happy mood in the Brij Bhushan camp changed after the stay. The returning officer, retired high court judge Mahesh Mittal Kumar, has notified state bodies of the stay.
“We shall challenge it. We will study the order and go to the Apex court,” said ID Nanavati, contesting for the senior vice-president’s post in the Brij Bhushan panel, said.
It is learnt Punia, Phogat and Malik met union home minister Amit Shah on Friday evening. Details were not known.