Mary Kom to head 5-member panel to probe sexual harassment allegations against WFI chief

Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik and prominent other wrestlers at the protest site against WFI President. (FILE PHOTO)

Boxing great Mary Kom will lead the five-member panel formed to probe charges of sexual harassment against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh after top wrestlers demanded a clean-up of the body that oversees the sport in the country.

"For the coming month, the committee will investigate the allegations put up by the wrestlers," Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur told media on January 23.

Thakur had earlier announced the setting up of the oversight committee to probe the charges levelled against Singh by some of India’s decorated wrestlers including Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik and Ravi Dahiya.

The Sports Minister had also stated that while the investigation is going on, WFI chief Singh will step aside.

"Till the investigation is over, he (Singh) will step aside and co-operate with the investigation and the oversight committee will run the day-to-day affairs of WFI."

Meanwhile, on January 21, the sports ministry suspended WFI assistant secretary Vinod Tomar, saying his presence would be ''detrimental to the development of this high-priority discipline'', news agency PTI reported citing sources.

The wrestlers alleged that Tomar took bribes from athletes and was involved in corruption, helping him to build property worth crores.

The ministry has sought an explanation from WFI after the country's top wrestlers sat on a dharna and alleged that Singh sexually harassed women wrestlers and acted like a ''dictator''.

Before the wrestlers agreed to end their protest, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) had on January 20 formed a seven-member committee of its own, headed by Kom to investigate the charges against Singh.

The IOA panel was constituted even as the wrestlers' sit-in entered the third day.

Besides legendary Kom and wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt, the panel includes archer Dola Banerjee and Indian Weightlifting Federation (IWLF) president and IOA treasurer Sahdev Yadav. The committee also has advocates Talish Ray and Shlok Chandra as members besides former shuttler and IOA joint secretary Alaknanda Ashok, who is its vice chairperson.

The decision was taken during the IOA's emergency Executive Council meeting, which was attended by the likes of Olympic champion shooter Abhinav Bindra, Olympic bronze medallist Yogeshwar, along with IOA president PT Usha and joint secretary Kalyan Chaubey.

(With agency inputs)