Delhi High Court Gives WFI Two Weeks to Decide Phogat Notices

Court directs WFI to decide two notices

The Delhi High Court has directed the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) to decide on two show-cause notices issued to wrestler Vinesh Phogat within two weeks. Justice Amit Mahajan passed the order on October 29 while hearing Phogat’s petition challenging the notices and related disciplinary proceedings.

The two notices were issued on May 9 and June 17 over allegations of indiscipline and violations of anti-doping rules. Counsel for Phogat said that no final order had been passed on either notice.

Any later ruling remains on hold

The court said that if the WFI decides the notices after the two-week period, the decision will remain in abeyance until the next hearing on January 20, 2027. It also directed the respondents to file replies, if any, before that hearing.

The order did not itself decide the allegations or grant the relief sought by Phogat. It also did not establish a final resolution of the disciplinary proceedings.

Concern about tournament preparation

Phogat’s senior counsel told the court that she intended to participate in a national tournament scheduled for mid-December 2026. Counsel said there was no immediate bar on her participation but feared that an adverse decision before a competition could leave her without an adequate opportunity to seek relief.

The court accepted that the concern was genuine, reasoning that “a sportsperson has to be in a fit and relaxed state of mind to participate in any competitive event.” The order was intended to prevent uncertainty over the notices from affecting her preparations.

Phogat’s position on the proceedings

In her petition, Phogat alleged that the notices formed part of what she described as an arbitrary and mala fide pattern that obstructed her return to competitive wrestling after maternity. She said the International Testing Agency had cleared her to compete from January 1, 2026, but that the WFI’s eligibility framework effectively excluded her from the selection process before the first notice alleged anti-doping and whereabouts violations.

The petition said the notices and associated proceedings continued to impede her return to elite competition and could affect her eligibility, nomination, and participation in future events. The court issued notice to the WFI and the Center on the petition.