The Delhi High Court on Wednesday has asked the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) to respond to a petition by wrestler Bajrang Punia challenging his suspension.
The notice was issued by Justice Sanjeev Narula as the Senior World Wrestling Championships in Albania approach in October.
Senior counsel for Punia sought interim relief, but Justice Narula noted that no formal application had been filed. “This is a classic case of hounding someone… World Championship is around the corner. I have to practice,” said senior advocate Rajiv Dutta.
The court questioned Punia about his refusal to submit a sample for testing, asking, “How will they let you play if you don’t test?” Punia’s lawyer argued that the testing kit was outdated and sought clarification from the authorities.
NADA’s counsel stated that a disciplinary panel is reviewing the issue and denied that Punia was being “targeted.” The court suggested that Punia address his concerns with the panel and scheduled the next hearing for October.
Punia was suspended by NADA on June 21, shortly after an Anti-Disciplinary Doping (ADDP) panel had lifted his previous suspension due to a lack of formal charges. The initial suspension on April 23 had been imposed for refusing to provide a urine sample during selection trials on March 10. The global wrestling body, United Wrestling World (UWW), had also suspended him.
In his petition, Punia, represented by lawyer Vidushpat Singhania, argued that NADA violated testing guidelines and his constitutional rights to practice and earn a living. He claimed that if the suspension is not lifted, he could be “forced to retire” from wrestling.
