WFI elections timeline: From wrestler's complaint against Brij Bhushan Singh to Sanjay Singh's appointment as President

Here is the timeline of the much-delayed Wrestling Federation of India elections from the protest started by Wrestlers to the appointment of Brij Bhushan Singh's aide Sanjay Singh as WFI President. Notably, The Brij Bhushan side has also swept all four Vice Presidents posts with Delhi's Jai Prakash (37), West Bengal's Asit Kumar Saha (42), Punjab's Kartar Singh (44), and Manipur's N Phoni (38) winning the elections.

Hyderabad: The Wrestling Federation of India’s election was held at the Indian Olympic Association headquarters here on December 21 (Thursday). The results were declared by the committee and Brij Bhushan Singh's close aide Sanjay Singh was appointed as the president of the federation.

Here is the timeline of the chain of events that led to the suspension of WFI by United World of Wrestling, the international governing body for wrestling.

January 18: Grapplers started to protest at Jantar Mantar, accusing WFI president Brij Bhushan Singh Sharan of sexual exploitation and intimidation, demanding his resignation and dissolution of the federation.

*Brij Bhushan rejected all the charges.

January 19:Babita Phogat, Commonwealth Games champion wrestler and BJP member discussed the issue with wrestlers and assured them that she would speak to the government.

*Protesting wrestlers visit Sports Minister Anurag Thakur at his residence, but the results are nothing.

January 20: Continuing their protest, Bajarang Punia, Sakshi Malik and other wrestlers demanded 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, writing a complaint letter to the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president PT Usha.

*IOA formed a seven-member committee, including M C Mary Kom, to investigate the allegations of sexual harassment against Brij Bhushan.

January 21: Wrestlers abandoned the protest late at night after meeting Sports Minister Anurag Thakur.

*The sports minister said an Oversight Committee will investigate the issue and Brij Bhushan will step aside till the probe is completed.

*WFI submitted a response to the ministry, not in favour of the wrestlers, and denied the allegations of sexual harassment of women wrestlers by its president and coaches.

January 21: The Sports Ministry asked WFI to immediately suspend all ongoing activities, including a ranking tournament in Gonda, UP, and schedule an emergency AGM meeting of WFI.

Assistant secretary of WFI Vinod Tomar handed suspension.
January 23: Formation of a five-member Oversight Committee, led by boxing great MC Mary Kom, to look into the allegations

*The Oversight Committee was given four weeks to complete the probe.

January 24: Protesting wrestlers showed disappointment over the government for not consulting with them on the choice of the committee members.

January 31: Babita Phogat joined the Oversight Committee.

February 23: The Oversight Committee was given two more weeks to probe the allegations.

April 16: WFI overviewed the Oversight Committee's report submitted to the Sports Ministry and announced the elections on May 7. But not made the reports public.

*Brij Bhushan Singh, who completed three four-year terms in office and announced not eligible to contest for the President’s under the Sports Code, says he will not contest for president post.

April 23: Wrestlers returned to Jantar Mantar, claiming the Cannaught Police in Delhi have not booked FIR even after complaining about Brij Bushan Singh, who sexually harassed seven female wrestlers, including a minor.

*Wrestlers asked the Sports Ministry to make the Oversight Committee's findings public.

April 24: Sports Ministry postponed the scheduled May 7 elections of WFI, asking IOA to constitute an ad-hoc committee to conduct the polls within 45 days of its formation and also manage the sports body.

*The absence of a duly constituted Internal Complaints Committee under the Prevention of Sexual Harassment Act is one of the 'major findings' in the probe report of the Oversight Committee (OC), said Sports Ministry.
*Protesting wrestlers threaten to approach the top court of the country if an FIR is not lodged against Brij Bhushan.

April 25: The Wrestlers’ protest took a political colour as farmer leaders also entered into it and started to support athletes.

*Wrestlers took the issue to the Supreme Court, seeking registration of FIR against Brij Bhushan. SC issued a notice to Delhi police.
April 27: IOA again formed the three-member panel.

*PT Usha said protesting wrestlers must have displayed some discipline and instead of taking to the streets, should have approached the IOA with their grievances.

April 28:Delhi Police booked two FIRs with sexual harassment allegations leveled by women wrestlers against Brij Bhushan.
*Wrestlers remarked that they will continue their protest against the WFI chief until he is sent behind bars.

May 3:A bloodless fight broke out between the wrestlers and the Delhi Police, leading to head injuries to a couple of protesters.

*Protesters accuse "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 shut down the proceedings on a plea by three women wrestlers, who have leveled sexual harassment allegations against Brij Bhushan, after noting that FIRs have been registered and the seven complainants have been provided adequate security.

May 5:Delhi police recorded the statements of wrestlers, who have filed complaints of sexual harassment against Brij Bhushan.

May 10:Wrestlers challenged Brij Bhushan to take the NARCO test.

May 11:Police records Brij Bhushan's statement.

May 28: FIRs were booked against Wrestlers Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik, and Bajrang Punia, along with other protesters for rioting and obstructing public servants in the discharge of duty. They attempted to march towards the new Parliament.

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 collect medals.

June 3: Home Minister Amit Shah meets wrestlers.

June 8: 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 7: Protest halted after Thakur assured them that the police investigation against Brij Bhushan would be concluded by then and the pending WFI elections would be conducted by June 30.

June 8:IOA included coaches Gyan Singh and Ashok Garg in the ad-hoc committee that is running the WFI.

June 12: IOA appointed former Jammu and Kashmir High Court Chief Justice Mahesh Mittal Kumar as the returning officer.

June 13: The WFI election is scheduled for July 6, said the returning officer.

June 15: Delhi Police filed the 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 upcoming 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 12: The IOA ad-hoc committee decided to hold much-awaited wrestling trials for the Asian Games on July 22 and 23.

July 18: Delhi court granted interim bail to Brij Bhushan Singh

*Olympic medallist Bajrang Punia and World Championship medallist Vinesh Phogat made direct entries into the Asian Games.

July 19: Young wrestlers hit Hisar streets to protest against "unfair trial exemption" for Bajrang and Vinesh

*WFI election scheduled for August 7.

July 20:Many junior wrestlers, their parents, and coaches reach IOA headquarters, demanding the withdrawal of the exemption granted to Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia from the Asian Games trials.

*WFI election 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.

Aug 14:Trials for World Championships scheduled for August 25-26 in Patiala.

August 15: Vinesh Phogat pulled out of the Asian Games due to a knee injury.

August 23: Wrestling world governing body UWW suspends WFI for not conducting its elections on time.

August 29: The Supreme Court refused to interfere with an earlier order of the Punjab and Haryana HC staying in the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) polls. "Instead of applying for vacating the interim stay, the petitioner has chosen to approach the Supreme Court. We, therefore, decline to entertain this special leave petition", the bench said.

September 9: The Khaps had backed the likes of Bajrang, Vinesh, and Sakshi Malik in Haryana and distanced themselves from the selection controversy concerning the wrestlers for the upcoming Asian Games

September 23: The Delhi Police argued that Brij Bhushan knew what he was doing and therefore he tried to cover up his action with a complaint which shows his intention.

November 28: The Supreme Court set aside the Punjab and Haryana High Court order, which imposed a stay on the holding of elections

December 09: WFI elections and result dates announced (December 21)

December 11: Wrestlers Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik have knocked doors of Sports Minister Anurag Thakur, requesting him to stop Brij Bhushan associates from contesting the upcoming polls

December 21: Sanjay Singh elected as President of the Wrestling Federation of India