The Bombay High Court on Monday dismissed a writ petition filed by the Maharashtra State Wrestling Association (MSWA) against the Wrestling Federation of India's (WFI) decision to de-affiliate the state body. The court upheld the WFI's move to replace the MSWA, led by NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar, with the Maharashtra Rajya Kustigir Sangh (MRKS), headed by former BJP MP Rajendra Tadas.
Background of the Dispute
On January 1, 2023, the WFI had de-affiliated the MSWA and recognized the MRKS as the official state wrestling body. The MSWA challenged this decision, arguing that its executive committee had not made the de-affiliation decision, calling it "illegal and arbitrary."
The WFI defended its action during the hearing before a division bench of Justices Bharati Dangre and Manjusha Deshpande. The bench dismissed the MSWA's petition, holding that the de-affiliation decision was made by the WFI's "general counsel," which is distinct from its executive committee and was not under any embargo from taking such a decision. The reasoned order is to follow.
Previous Court Orders
In November 2022, a single judge of the Bombay High Court, Justice Sandeep Shinde, had quashed the WFI's July 2022 decision to dissolve the MSWA's elected committee. Justice Shinde observed that the decision was "in breach of principles of natural justice" and that "procedural fairness had been given a complete go-by." The HC had then allowed the elected body to hold office until the expiry of its tenure.
Following that order, in 2023, the WFI's oversight committee de-affiliated the MSWA. The then WFI chief, Brij Bhushan Singh, cited the MSWA's failure to hold certain tournaments as the reason. The MSWA took exception, stating that Pawar had controlled and administered the association well for decades until the WFI's "arbitrary" decision.
The NCP, led by Sharad Pawar, had headed the MSWA for over 40 years until its dissolution in 2022. The MSWA's petition argued that the de-affiliation was illegal and arbitrary, but the HC found no merit in the plea.
