HC issues notice over trials exemption granted to Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia

The Delhi high court on Thursday issued a notice to the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) over the exemption granted to wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia from the Asian Games trials.

“What is the basis of the selection of these two persons other than the fact that they are good sportsmen? Have you done any kind of selection process? The entire case it seems is that there has to be some kind of trial,” Justice Subramonium Prasad said orally while issuing the notice.

Wrestlers Antim Panghal and Sujeet Kalkal have challenged the exemption to Phogat and Punia.

Justice Prasad said the petitioners do not doubt the competence or merit of Phogat and Punia. “There is no doubt about it. What they say is that past performance alone cannot be the basis.”

The court asked WFI to file a reply by Thursday and posted the matter for hearing on Friday.

Additional solicitor general Chetan Sharma, who appeared for the Union government, told the court that the policy for exemption is available online. Justice Prasad asked him for a status report by Friday with further details on the rules.

Panghal and Kalkal have sought quashing of the exemption and said the trials be held in a fair manner without exemptions and that the whole process be videographed.

Punia and Phogat, who were at the forefront of protests against former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh over sexual harassment charges, were on Tuesday given the exemption from the trials.