Bajrang Punia Suspension Controversy: Wrestler Files High Court Petition Against NADA - Report

In a writ petition, Congress leader Punia has now requested the court to consider his request immediately as the World wrestling Championships are slated to be held in Tirana, Albania, from October 28 to 31 and the provisional suspension would prevent him from competing in the event, “owing to which the petitioner shall be forced to retire...”, according to a Sportstar report.

Punia has also requested the court to initiate an independent probe into the attempt to use expired kits for sample collection in December last year, the report adds.

NADA had suspended Punia on April 23 for his refusal to give his urine sample for dope testing during the national selection trials in Sonipat on March 10. The global governing body United World Wrestling had also suspended the Tokyo Games bronze medallist.

Bajrang had also appealed against the provisional suspension previously, and NADA’s anti-disciplinary doping panel had quashed it on May 31 till NADA issues the notice of charge. Then, in June 2024, NADA served the notice to the wrestler.

“This serves as a formal notice that you are being charged with the violation of Article 2.3 of the National Anti-Doping Rules, 2021 and now you are provisionally suspended,” NADA’s communication to Punia said.

In July 2024, Bajrang had also accused NADA of targeting him for revealing flaws in their system. He also called the NADA "arrogant" and vowed to challenge the suspension.

"This shows how NADA is targeting me, they don't want me to continue wrestling at any cost. They have no answers and they don't want to take responsibility for their mistakes. They just want to harass the athlete to get rid of him. NADA doesn't want anyone to question their wrong ways and if someone does, he is targeted so that he cannot continue his sport," Punia wrote on social media platform X (formerly Twitter).

"Why doesn't NADA answer about the expired kit? Why doesn't NADA answer how an unregistered chaperone who was not named in the mission order approached and pressured me for sample collection? "Why doesn't NADA answer why I was pressured to collect samples between two matches when they knew I had only 20 minutes to prepare for the next bout," Punia added.