INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
pending inquiry into the allegations of sexual harassment and intimidation against him, Union sports minister Anurag Thakur on Saturday
six-time Lok Sabha MP.Thakur said he has also cancelled the ongoing senior national open ranking wrestling championship in Gonda, after
Singh attended the tournament at Nandini Nagar sports stadium in Gonda but maintained a low profile and refrained from making any
statements.These images agitated the wrestling community after the protesting wrestlers had called off their three-day long protest at
Jantar Mantar on the assurance of Thakur that Singh would not interfere in the day-to-day functioning of the WFI till the time the probe
We have decided to suspend him pending inquiry against him
time the committee takes over the affairs of the WFI
and takes over the day-to-day functioning of the federation
The ministry also directed the WFI to return the entry fees charged to participants for the event.In the letter suspending Tomar, the
reasons to believe that his continued presence will be detrimental to the development of this high priority discipline
Therefore, in terms of the provision of the sports code 2011, the ministry has decided to suspend Vinod Tomar forthwith, and accordingly,
assistant secretary of the WFI since October 28, 2002 and his salary was being reimbursed by the SAI from the funds allocated under the
wrestlers, who felt cheated and let down by the ministry after Singh attended the nationals in Gonda.In Gonda, Singh was accompanied by his
MLA son Prateek Bhushan, WFI vice-chairman Karan Bhushan Singh, BJP MLA Ajay Singh and Paltu Ram
He spent the entire day at the stadium and interacted with well-wishers.There have been talks about the wrestlers launching a fresh
the day, WFI rejected all the allegations, including that of sexual harassment against Singh, in its eight-page reply to the ministry and
body as per its constitution, and therefore, there is no scope for arbitrariness and mismanagement in WFI by any one individually, including
secretary VN Prasood reached Lucknow on Saturday evening and told TOI that the special executive council meeting of the federation will take
Tomar said the schedule for the inaugural ceremony was prepared months back and he did not attend the tournament as the federation president
