Delhi High Court seeks National Anti-Doping Agency’s stand on plea by wrestler Bajrang Punia against suspension

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday sought the stand of the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) on a petition by wrestler Bajrang Punia challenging his suspension.

Justice Sanjeev Narula issued notice to the agency on the plea which has been filed ahead of the Senior World Wrestling Championships to be held in Albania in October.

As the senior counsel appearing for the athlete pressed for an interim relief, the judge remarked that no formal application has been filed for the same.

“This is a classic case of hounding someone...World Championship is round the corner. I have to practice,” senior advocate Rajiv Dutta said.

However, the court questioned Punia on his refusal to submit a sample for the testing, asking, “how will they let you play if you don’t test”.

Punia’s counsel asserted that there were issues concerning the use of an “outdated kit” and he has sought answers from authorities.

The counsel for NADA said a disciplinary panel has been constituted, which is looking into the issue, and Punia was not being “targeted”.

The court orally said that Punia should agitate his grievances before the panel and listed the matter for further hearing in October.

On June 21, NADA suspended Punia for a second time and issued the formal “notice of charge”, rendering him ineligible to train and participate in competitions.

The move came three weeks after an Anti-Disciplinary Doping panel had revoked the earlier suspension on the grounds that NADA had not issued a “notice of charge” to the wrestler.

NADA had first suspended Punia on April 23 for refusal to give his urine sample for a dope test during the selection trials held in Sonepat on March 10. The sport’s global governing body, United Wrestling World, had also suspended him.

In his petition filed through lawyer Vidushpat Singhania, Punia—who was at the forefront of last year’s protest at Jantar Mantar demanding the arrest of then WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh for the alleged sexual harassment of seven women grapplers—argued that NADA has acted in violation of the testing guidelines and protocols.

The grappler has claimed that the conduct of the agency is in violation of his fundamental rights to practice a profession and earn a livelihood under the Constitution, and that he would be “forced to retire” if the “arbitrary” suspension is not lifted.