New Delhi, 30 October (H.S.): The Delhi High Court has directed the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) to take a decision within two weeks on the two show-cause notices issued to wrestler Vinesh Phogat.

A Bench of Justice Amit Mahajan passed the order while hearing Phogat's petition. The court observed that an athlete needs to be mentally at ease to participate in any sporting competition. It further clarified that even if the WFI takes a decision on the notices issued on May 9 and June 17, it must not be implemented until the next hearing, scheduled for January 20.

During the proceedings, senior advocate Rajshekhar Rao, appearing for Phogat, submitted that no final order had yet been passed on either of the two show-cause notices.

In its May 9 notice, the WFI accused Phogat of indiscipline and violations of anti-doping regulations. The notice alleged that she had failed to comply with the mandatory six-month advance notice requirement applicable to athletes returning from retirement under the anti-doping rules of United World Wrestling (UWW).

A second notice was issued on June 17 in connection with alleged incidents surrounding the selection trials for the Asian Games, initiating further disciplinary proceedings against her.

During the hearing, Rao submitted that Phogat apprehended that the federation might take an adverse decision against her before the commencement of future tournaments, potentially leaving her with no effective opportunity to seek judicial relief. He informed the court that she intended to participate in a national-level wrestling tournament scheduled for December and needed adequate time to prepare.

Describing the notices as a sword of Damocles hanging over the wrestler, Rao argued that the unresolved proceedings were causing uncertainty ahead of her planned participation in competitions.

In an earlier hearing, Phogat had stated that she was among the six women wrestlers who filed sexual harassment complaints against former WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. She was also one of the prominent faces, alongside Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia, during the 36-day protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar in April and May 2023 against Singh.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar