The Supreme Court on Thursday declined to entertain Wrestling Federation of India (WFI)'s plea to expunge certain strong observations made by the Delhi High Court against the federation over its refusal to permit Olympian Vinesh Phogat in the selection trials for the Asian Games.
A bench of Justice Pamidighantam Sri Narasimha and Justice Aravind Kumar, however, clarified that its refusal to expunge the observations by the high court should not be interpreted as being a reiteration of the high court’s impugned remarks.
The bench said it was not accepting the request of the WFI for expunging the remarks as the issue had become “infructuous” since Phogat had already participated in the selection trials held on Saturday, pursuant to the Apex Court’s May 29 direction.
Senior advocate D. N. Goburdhun, appearing for WFI, told the bench that Phogat was allowed to participate “but created quite a havoc there”. He did not elaborate.
Goburdhun urged the bench that the Delhi High Court judgment from para 31 onwards has to be expunged as the high court had gone to the extent of saying that the WFI decision not to permit Phogat to participate in the selection trials was “mala fide and deplorable”.
However, Justice Narasimha, heading the bench, said the Apex court will not interfere with the high court but in the same breath clarified that the same should not be construed as having reiterated the findings and observations of the high court.
Earlier, on May 29, the Apex court had permitted Phogat to participate in the Asian Games wrestling selection trials which was held on May 30 and 31.