WFI admits operating from Brij Bhushan's residence, vows to shift in February

Admitting that its operations were being conducted from the residence of former chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the Wrestling Federation of India on Thursday said this was a temporary arrangement and the body will move to a new office in Connaught Place, New Delhi early in February. WFI, which was suspended by the Sports Ministry in December 2023, has been functioning from its old address -- the long-time home of its former chief and five-time BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh at 21, Ashoka Road, despite an ongoing sexual harassment trial against Singh. "We operated from a small Hari Nagar office and were looking for a better place but the uncertainty due to the government suspension delayed shifting to a full-fledged office," a source in WFI said. Singh faced charges of stalking, harassment, and intimidation, along with making "sexually coloured remarks," following months of protests in early 2023 by the country’s top wrestlers, including Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat.