Protecting India’s Athletes - A Review Of Sexual Harassment Laws Following Wrestling Allegations
The sports fraternity in India was shaken in January 2023 when sexual harassment accusations were made against Mr. Brij Bhushan Singh, President of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), who had been sitting at the helm for a period of twelve years. Several noted wrestlers took to the streets and staged a protest at the Jantar Mantar in New Delhi alleging harassment by Mr. Singh and WFI.1
The protests, which included some of the most reputed wrestlers, led to the government taking action by forming an oversight committee (Committee) to probe the allegations of sexual misconduct, harassment and/or intimidation and submit a report within one month.2 In addition to the Committee, the Indian Olympic Association has also formed a committee to probe the allegations.3 In the meantime, Mr. Singh has stepped down from his position.
While the future course of action in the present case will depend on the findings in the reports, the alleged incident presents us with an opportunity to examine the present laws and regulations in India that seek to prevent sexual harassment in sports. Further, the authors will seek to analyse the repercussions that may follow and provide thoughts on the present state of Indian sports the incident highlights:
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- Tags: Athlete Welfare | Criminal | India | Regulation | Wrestling
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Written by
Aahna Mehrotra
Ms. Aahna Mehrotra is the Founder of AM Sports Law & Management Co. She was called to the Bar in May, 2011 and has gained considerable exposure through her experiences at different institutions worldwide. After completing her schooling from Mayo College Girls’ School, Aahna studied law at the ILS Law College, Pune. She then worked for a year, in India, before pursuing her Masters in Entertainment & Sports Law from the UCLA School of Law. During her year at UCLA, Aahna worked in the Intellectual Property & Anti-Piracy department at Warner Bros., which helped in polishing her skills in the American system. She further enhanced her skills by pursuing a certificate course in Sports Law held at the University of Cambridge and a second Master’s degree in Sports Law from ISDE, Madrid. She also has a certificate in Sports Law from the Sports Law and Policy Centre, in Ravello; a certificate in Intellectual Property laws from the London School of Economics; a certificate in Entertainment Law from the University of New Hampshire; and has attended a certificate course in Sports Law at the University of Geneva, which was held in collaboration with Duke University, U.S.A.
Aman Gupta
Aman Gupta is presently working as an Assistant Professor (Law and Technology) at the West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences, Kolkata ('NUJS'). Prior to joining NUJS, he taught in National Law University, Jodhpur ('NLU Jodhpur') as an Assistant Professor. He has also worked in the banking and finance and sports law teams of reputed law firms.
