New Delhi: The Union sports ministry on Saturday, December 24, suspended the newly formed Wrestling Federation of India, noting that the new body is “in complete control of former office bearers.”In a statement, the sports ministry appeared to slam the Federation’s lack of regard for norms and the fact that it functions out of former officer bearers who are accused of sexual harassment of players.The decision has come after the newly elected and controversial president Sanjay Singh announced that Under-15 and Under-20 nationals will take place at Nandini Nagar in Uttar Pradesh’s Gonda before the end of this year, which the sports ministry called “hasty.”Singh was, on Thursday (December 21), elected president of the body. He is close to its former head, Bharatiya Janata Party MP and strongman Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, whose ouster had been demanded by India’s top wrestlers. Brij Bhushan is accused of sexually harassing no fewer than seven wrestlers. During their protracted protest in Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, the wrestlers also said Brij Bhushan and his coterie had complete and authoritarian control over the running of the sport in India.Gonda is understood to be Brij Bhushan’s turf.A statement released by the sports ministry, according to Indian Express, notes that Sanjay Singh has shown “‘blatant disregard for the established legal and procedural norms.”Olympics bronze medalist Sakshi Malik had, in the aftermath of the election, announced that she is giving up the sport in protest. Olympian Bajrang Punia and Deaflympics gold medallist Virender Singh Yadav have returned and announced the return of their medals and Padma Shri awards respectively.Last evening, Malik had posed on concerns voiced by junior wrestlers over the choice of location.“Gonda is the area of Brijbhushan. Now imagine in what environment the junior women wrestlers will go there to wrestle.Is there no place in this country to hold nationals other than Nandini Nagar?” Malik wrote in Hindi.The sports ministry said the Gonda announcement did not give enough notice to wrestlers.“This announcement is hasty, without giving sufficient notice to wrestlers who are to take part in the said nationals and without following the provisions of the constitution of WFI,” it said.In addition to Sanjay Singh – who won in a 40-7 sweep against former Commonwealth Games gold medalist Anita Sheoran – 12 of the 15 posts in which elections were held were taken up by Brij Bhushan’s loyalists.Notably, Brij Bhushan’s residence is also the Federation’s office. Sanjay Singh visited it immediately after his re-election.“The business of the Federation is being run from the premises controlled by former office bearers…Which is also alleged premises wherein sexual harassment of the players have been alleged and present the court is hearing the matter,” the sports ministry said.After rounds of censure, in August, the Wrestling Federation of India was banned by the wrestling governing body, United World Wrestling, for failing to conduct its elections on time.