Vinesh Phogat's appeal rightly dismissed : By Justice Markandey Katju

Vinesh Phogat's appeal rightly dismissed

By Justice Katju

Vinesh Phogat's appeal against her disqualification has been dismissed

One may have all sympathy for Vinesh, but as the Latin maxim says '' dura lex, sed lex '' ( i.e. the law is hard, but it is the law ). Hence her appeal has rightly been dismissed

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/paris-olympics-2024/indiaparis/cas-rejects-vinesh-phogats-appeal-against-disqualification-from-paris-olympics/articleshow/112531211.cms

https://www.hindustantimes.com/sports/olympics/vinesh-phogat-loses-appeal-against-disqualification-from-gold-medal-bout-at-paris-olympic-no-silver-medal-for-india-101723651521321.html

If anyone is to blame, it is Vinesh herself, for not maintaining self discipline and ensuring that she was within the weight limit.

https://justicekatju.com/disqualification-of-vinesh-phogat-9d7dcc0e5aad

To say that being 100 gms overweight was a triviality, which should have been overlooked or condoned, is neither here nor there. If 100 gms can be overlooked, why not 200, or 300, or 500 gms ? Why not 1 kg ? Where does one draw the line ?

The Olympic officials and the appellate Judge should be praised for strictly enforcing the rules.

https://justicekatju.com/the-true-heroes-in-the-vinesh-phogat-episode-4b7293131ef5

Some said there was 'saajish' ( conspiracy ) against Vinesh because she had been prominent in the wrestler's agitation at Jantar Mantar, which annoyed the BJP.

But what have the Olympic officials got to do with the agitation or the BJP ? How can they be accused of a saajish ? In fact Olympic officials are always chosen after meticulously checking their background, and only those with the highest reputation of integrity and professionalism are selected as judges in the Olympic events.

In this connection I may relate a story.

I had a friend A who got admission in a graduate class in a top University of USA. There he became very friendly with a young American B, and they were often together.

It so happened that B was the examiner of A's class, and he gave one mark less to A than what was required for what is equivalent to a first division in India, thus giving A a second division.

A then asked his friend B why he had deprived him of a first division by giving him one mark less. At this B took out A's answer copy and showed A where he had made a mistake, because of which B had to deduct one mark.

Now what can be seen here is that friendship, enmity or relationship have to be kept aside when doing one's duty.

Another example which can be given is of the great debate between Adi Shankaracharya and Mandan Mishra. The judge in this debate was Bharati, Mandan Mishra's wife. After carefully evaluating the arguments of both participants, she declared Shankaracharya as the winner. Thus, the fact that she was the wife of one of the contestants was treated by Bharati as wholly irrelevant, and she was totally objective.

So while many people may feel that injustice was done to Vinesh, I regret I cannot join their lament. Dura lex sed lex