The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Thursday took a suo motu cognisance of media reports about absence of a Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) in the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) which is mandated by the Prevention of Sexual Harassment (PoSH) Act, 2013. The move comes amid the ongoing protest by wrestlers against alleged sexual harassment by federation chief Brij Bhushan Singh.
The communique issued by the NHRC added that the media report, carried on May 04, reported that the wrestling body is not the only one which does not have a duly constituted ICC. In addition to it, there are as many as 15 of the 30 National Sports Federations who do not meet this mandatory requirement.
“The Commission has observed that the contents of the media report, if true, amount to a violation of a law, and thus is a matter of concern as it may impact the legal right and dignity of the sports persons,” the NHRC communique said.
