Wrestling federation office is back to its old address — home of sexual harassment accused Brij Bhushan Singh

Even arsenic the intersexual harassment proceedings against Singh goes connected successful a Delhi tribunal and charges against him person been framed, the WFI, it is evident, hasn’t snapped ties with the politician-turned-sports administrator.

This, contempt the Sports Ministry, portion suspending WFI successful December 2023, mentioning that moving the federation from wrong “premises controlled by erstwhile serviceman bearers” was 1 of the reasons for their action.

Also, according to a Delhi Police chargesheet, 2 wrestlers had alleged that incidents of inappropriate interaction and groping occurred astatine the WFI bureau located astatine Singh’s authoritative MP residence astatine 21, Ashoka Road.

Within weeks of the enactment against them by the ministry successful 2023, the WFI had moved to a one-room premises successful Hari Nagar. In fact, connected the homepage of WFI’s authoritative website, the code is inactive listed arsenic 101, Hari Nagar, Ashram Chowk, New Delhi–110014.

When The Indian Express visited this code past July, the nameplate astatine the gathering entranceway and the doorway of the tiny country had WFI written connected it. However, the doorway was locked. The proprietor of the bureau abstraction said that WFI had vacated the place.

Returning to the bustling commercialized gathering Wednesday, The Indian Express recovered that 101, Hari Nagar has a caller tenant who said WFI had moved retired “many months ago.”

WFI’s existent president Sanjay Singh did not respond to calls and substance messages seeking a remark connected the bureau shift.

When contacted, WFI Treasurer S P Deshwal said that “the bureau is inactive successful Hari Nagar”.

However, erstwhile told that a caller steadfast had moved determination and the WFI unit was moving from 21, Ashoka Road, Deshwal said, “The enactment of the federation tin hap from wherever its radical are based. From wherever it is casual to function.Office enactment tin hap from 2 places, but the authoritative code is Hari Nagar. As Treasurer, I americium lone acrophobic with the books of accounts.”

At 21, Ashoka Road, the beforehand entranceway doesn’t person a WFI nameplate but connected Wednesday (January 22), successful the country from wherever the federation had been moving for implicit a decennary — erstwhile Brij Bhushan Singh was president — seasoned WFI bureau hands were astatine work. It was concern arsenic accustomed for these men who person been WFI’s bureau unit for long. They were scanning done documents related to the Zagreb Open, a ranking bid lawsuit to beryllium held successful the archetypal week of February. They were updating information connected computers, checking certificates, sifting done wrestling-related documents successful files and giving printouts.

On the printer placed connected the array rested a bulging brownish container that has the Olympics rings and Team India written connected it.

“We worked from Hari Nagar for a fewer months but shifted backmost present aft that,” a WFI bureau unit said erstwhile asked astir the move.

Brij Bhushan Singh, too, was astatine home.

The wrong doorway of the bureau opens into a hallway with a showcase afloat of trophies, which leads to a country wherever the seasoned person meets guests. Singh was seated successful a ample chair.

There was a dependable watercourse of visitors to conscionable “Netaji” – section BJP leaders, the grandson of a erstwhile minister, grassroots politicians from Gonda and Bahraich, and businessmen. Most of them touched Singh’s feet, each had a communal request – a photograph with Netaji.

When asked wherefore the WFI had moved backmost to his address, Singh said helium “didn’t privation to sermon wrestling.” He said helium wished to speech lone astir authorities – the upcoming Delhi elections and the authorities of affairs successful Uttar Pradesh. Though Brij Bhushan Singh is nary longer an MP, helium continues to unrecorded here.

He said helium does not interfere with the functioning of the existent WFI bureau bearers.

In the past helium had said helium chopped ties with the athletics and the federation pursuing a gathering with the past BJP president JP Nadda, station the arguable WFI elections successful December 2023.

But that precise predetermination had shown that Singh continued to person power connected the caller bureau bearers. Within minutes of winning the elections, his one-time protege Sanjay Singh had travel to Ashoka Road. He garlanded Singh, and they posed for photos showing triumph signs. Chants of “dabdaba tha, dabdaba rahega (Dominance volition continue)” had deed the aerial then, and they inactive find an echo astatine 21, Ashoka Road.