NHRC Notice to Sports Ministry Over ‘Absence’ of Panel in Federations to Address Sexual Harassment Charges

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) issued a notice to the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports on Thursday over reports that the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) and four other bodies do not have an internal complaints committee to address sexual harassment charges, a senior official said.

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has also sent notices to the Sports Authority of India (SAI), the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the WFI and several other national sports federations over reports that they either do not even have an ICC or a properly functional ICC as required by law, according to a statement issued by the rights panel.

The notices come at a time when several wrestlers are protesting at Jantar Mantar here demanding the sacking and arrest of WFI president and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh over charges of sexual harassment of women grapplers.

The NHRC has taken “suo motu cognisance of a media report that there is no Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) in the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) as mandated by the Prevention of Sexual Harassment (PoSH) Act, 2013″.

“Accordingly, it has issued notices to the (i) Secretary, Department of Sports, Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, (ii) the Sports Authority of India,SAI (iii) the Board Of Control For Cricket In India, BCCI(iv) Wrestling Federation of India, and all the 15 other National Sports Federations of Handball, Volleyball, Basketball, Weightlifting, Yachting, Gymnastics, Table Tennis, Billiards & Snooker, Kayaking & Canoeing, Judo, Squash, Triathlon, Kabaddi, Badminton, Archery, mentioned in the news report, which either do not have even an ICC or properly functional ICCs as required in the law.

“They have been asked to submit detailed reports within 4 weeks including the present status of the ICC in their organization as well as the steps taken or proposed to be taken to address the issue,” the statement read.

According to reports, five Federations, including the Wrestling Federation, do not even have an ICC.

Four federations do not have the stipulated number of members and another six federations lacked the mandatory external members. It is also stated that one federation had two panels but neither had an independent member.

(With inputs from Agencies)