Supreme Court allows WFI election to commence immediately

The Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered the election process of Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) to commence immediately as it stayed the Gauhati High Court's order which had put it on hold on a challenge by the Assam Wrestling Association.

A bench of Justices Aniruddha Bose and S V Bhatti suspended the high court's order and directed that the election process be started immediately.

Hearing a petition filed by the Assam Wrestling Association (AWA) over its right to participate in the polls, the High Court had on June 25 stayed the WFI elections scheduled for July 11.

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The state association had claimed it was entitled to be an affiliated member of the WFI with voting rights but it was denied recognition by the national federation despite its executive committee having recommended the same on November 15, 2014.

June 25 was the last date to submit the names for the electoral college.

The court passed the order on a petition filed by Andhra Pradesh Amateur Wrestling Association.

It also issued notices to the union sports ministry, the Wrestling Federation of India, AWA and others on a plea challenging the June 25 order of the high court.