The Delhi High Court on Wednesday issued notice to Centre and Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) on a plea moved by wrestlers Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik pressing that affairs of the federation should be taken over by an IOA-ad hoc committee or a retired Supreme Court or High Court judge.

The high court has issued notice and sought Centre and WFI’s stance on the plea. The court has granted two weeks time to Centre and WFI to file responses.

A fresh application has been filed in the wrestlers’ petition against the elections held in the federation.

A bench of Justice Prateek Jalan issued notice on the plea that seeks a restrain on the present management of the WFI from taking any steps towards holding any selection trials.

The wrestlers have contended that WFI was being run by a proxy president and selection trials were being held at the cost of the wrestlers and in violation of the court’s ruling on the issue of IOA-ad hoc committee taking over the federation.

Punia along with other petitioning wrestlers were at the forefront of last year’s protest at the Jantar Mantar against ex-WFI chief Brij Bhushan. They were demanding the arrest of outgoing WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh for alleged sexual harassment of women wreslers.

They moved court after Sanjay Singh, who they claim to be loyal to the ex-WFI chief Brij Bhushan Singh was elected the new WFI chief in the polls held in December, 2023.

In the fresh application, the petitioners alleged that the authorities failed to comply with the court order by not setting up the ad hoc committee to govern the affairs of the WFI till date.It further claims that the selection trials called by the federation for the 2024 Senior World Wrestling Championship was not as per the law and prejudiced the rights of the athletes.