Any decision on the show-cause notices to Vinesh Phogat taken after two weeks will be kept in abeyance, the Delhi High Court has ordered, directing the Wrestling Federation of India to decide the notices within that period.
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has directed the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) to decide, within two weeks, the show-cause notices issued to wrestler Vinesh Phogat, and has ordered that a decision taken after that period will be kept in abeyance till the next date of hearing [Vinesh Phogat v. Wrestling Federation of India & Ors.].
The order was passed by Justice Amit Mahajan on October 29, 2026, while issuing notice on Phogat’s writ petition against the notices dated May 9, 2026 and June 17, 2026. The next date of hearing is January 20, 2027.
Notice issued, a predicament accepted
Counsel for all three respondents accepted notice. In the order, the Court said:
“The predicament expressed by the Petitioner appears to be genuine. A Sportsperson has to be in a fit and relaxed state of mind to participate in any competitive event of such nature as indicated so that their performance is not compromised in any way.”
The direction that followed read:
“In view of the same, the Respondents are directed to take a decision on the impugned SCNs, within a period of two weeks. If the decision is taken, after two weeks, the same shall be kept in abeyance till the next date of hearing.”
Replies, if any, are to be filed before the next date.
The fear of a late decision
No final order has yet been passed on the notices, the Court recorded, and there is presently no impediment to Phogat’s participation in upcoming tournaments. Her apprehension was that a decision against her would come just before the start of future tournaments, leaving her no remedy to approach the Court in time.
Senior Advocate Rajshekhar Rao told the Court that the national tournament in which she wishes to compete is scheduled for the middle of December 2026, that she must prepare for it, and that the notices are being kept over her “as a hanging sword”.
What the writ petition asks for
Phogat wants the Court to declare that the two show-cause notices, and the consequential exercise of disciplinary jurisdiction by the WFI, are arbitrary, mala fide and vitiated by extraneous and collateral considerations. She also seeks quashing of the notices and of all proceedings arising from them, including communications dated July 15, July 31 and August 21, 2026.
Her plea says the notices form part of a continuing pattern of arbitrary action that has obstructed her return to competitive wrestling after maternity, even though the International Testing Agency had cleared her to compete from January 1, 2026. These are her allegations, and the WFI is yet to file its reply.
Why the order matters
The order does not touch the merits of the disciplinary proceedings; it fixes the timing. By requiring a decision within two weeks, and freezing any later decision until January 2027, the Court has removed the risk that a ruling could land on the eve of the December nationals and shut an athlete out before she can seek judicial review.
The Court’s recognition that an athlete’s state of mind is part of fair participation is a useful marker for sports bodies that run disciplinary processes alongside a competition calendar. Whether the notices themselves survive scrutiny is a question left for the next hearing.
Case Title: Vinesh Phogat v. Wrestling Federation of India & Ors. [W.P.(C) 12639/2026 & CM APPL. 58561/2026]
Bench: Justice Amit Mahajan, Delhi High Court
Date of Order: October 29, 2026
For the Petitioner: Rajshekhar Rao, Senior Advocate, with Ritwik Prakash, Aashita Khanna, Neil M. Goswami and Vishakha Gupta, Advocates
For WFI (Respondent No. 1): Hemant Phalpher and Karishmit Keswarni, Advocates
For Respondent No. 2: Udit Dedhiya, Preyansh and Arihant Srivardhan, Advocates, with Rahul Maurya, GP
For Respondent No. 3: Kumudavalli Seetharaman, Geetika Vyas, Ranjeet Pawar and Ananya Milak, Advocates
Next Date: January 20, 2027