The Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports on Monday announced that world champion woman boxer and Olympic bronze medalist MC Mary Kom will head the government-appointed five-member Oversight Committee to probe into the allegations of sexual harassment against the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) and its chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, a sitting BJP MP from Uttar Pradesh.
The Oversight Committee will complete the enquiry at the earliest, by four weeks.
The four members of the Committee are Olympic bronze medalist grappler Yogeshwar Dutt, former India badminton star Trupti Murgunde, former CEO of Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) Captain Rajagopalan and former SAI Executive Director (Teams) Radhika Sreeman. Murgunde is a member of the government’s Mission Olympic Cell Member.
The composition of the Oversight Committee was announced by Union Sports Minister Thakur on Monday.
“As I had earlier announced, the Oversight Committee will not only handle the day-to-day functioning of the WFI but also inquire into the serious allegations made by wrestlers and submit a report,” Union Sports Minister Anurag Singh told media on Monday.
He said that Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh has been asked to cease functioning as the WFI president till the inquiry by the Oversight Committee is completed and has been told not to interfere in the day-to-day functioning of the WFI.
The panel will also administer and manage the day-to-day affairs of the wrestling body “as a purely interim measure.”
A letter from the Union Sports Ministry noted that wrestlers had made allegations of sexual harassment against the president, officials and coaches of the federation and the Ministry took a serious look into the matter and asked the federation for a reply within 72 hours on January 18. Following that, the WFI submitted its response to the Ministry via a letter on January 20.