Supreme Court lifts stay on Wrestling Federation of India executive committee elections imposed by Gauhati High Court

The Supreme Court on Tuesday effectively lifted the stay recently imposed by the Gauhati High Court on elections to the executive committee of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI). [Andhra Pradesh Amateur Wrestling Association v. Assam Wrestling Association and Ors].A Bench of Justices Aniruddha Bose and SV Bhatti also issued notice on a plea by the Andhra Pradesh Amateur Wrestling Association and stayed the interim order passed by the High Court..In a special Sunday hearing held last month, the Gauhati High Court had stayed the elections while dealing with a case raising grievance over the alleged failure to affiliate the Assam Wrestling Association with the WFI, which meant that the former could not participate in the elections.In a plea filed through Advocate Anuj Tyagi against this order, the Andhra Pradesh Amateur Wrestling Association told the Supreme Court that the elections were stayed by the High Court in a third party's plea..The Association's counsel explained that the elections had to be rescheduled again, even though disputes between various states have since been resolved. The High Court's stay was extended yesterday, the counsel pointed out..In view of these submissions, the Supreme Court issued notice in the matter and stayed the High Court's interim order..Justice Nani Tagia of the Gauhati High Court passed the interim order under challenge on June 25. In this order, the judge directed the WFI not to proceed with the polls that were earlier scheduled to be held on July 11, while seeking the response of the WFI and the Union Sports Ministry in the matter.Interestingly, while hearing the case yesterday, another single-judge of the High Court, Justice Devashis Baruah, appeared to hold a different prima facie view. Before directing that service of notice be completed through dasti, he questioned if it is appropriate for the High Court to issue a stay on the elections through the exercise of its writ jurisdiction."Elections, how can there be a stay? What is this stay business of elections, this writ business? Why do you not go to the civil court? What are you doing in a writ court? Writ court is easier? We should have a witness box there. How do you take care of election? Whether it has taken place with formalities or not, how does it...Name some prominent wrestlers of Assam. This is an injunction type of thing. You do not have a case, you are lucky they (WFI) are not here," Justice Baruah had orally remarked. .Notably, the resolution to grant affiliation to the Assam Wrestling Association was passed in an executive committee meeting held in 2014 under the chairmanship of tainted former WFI Chief, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.Singh presently stands accused of sexual harassment by various female wrestlers. After a criminal complaint was lodged by the Delhi Police in the matter, the Supreme Court recently closed the proceedings before it which had alleged police inaction in the case.The police recently filed its chargesheet in the case, implicating the Kaiserganj Member of Parliament for the offences of outraging a women's modesty, criminal intimidation, making sexually coloured remarks, and stalking.Olympian wrestlers including Sakshi Malik and Vinesh Phogat had earlier carried out a sit-in protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi seeking action against Singh..Senior Advocate Dama Seshadri Naidu with Advocates Anuj Tyagi, Hemant Phalpher and Maitry Kakade appeared for the appellants before the Supreme Court.