Bismee Taskin

'I generally expect this statement from men...This is not my personal observation on you, don't take it to heart, but this is what I feel as a woman. This is what I feel as a judge,' Justice Swarna Kanta Sharma shot back during yesterday's hearing on Vinesh Phogat's petition in the Delhi HC. When the Wrestling Federation of India's lawyer submitted that there are many women who are able to come back in time after pregnancy to participate in competitions, Justice Swarna Kanta Sharma pointed out that women have to go through a lot, and give up a lot when they go through pregnancy, in all professions, including the legal profession. "You can come to the court while you wife will undergo child birth and she will look after the child those years, when she will have no appearances in the court. Do you know that she won't be eligible for certain things (because of it)? She will not be eligible to appear for any judicial exams, she will not be eligible for panels also," she said. Justice Sharma is hearing a petition filed by Vinesh Phogat challenging the WFI’s circular, which sets eligibility requirements based on participation in specified competitions during 2025 and 2026. She has argued that her absence from some of those events was due to pregnancy, childbirth and post-partum recovery. The court has, for now, denied interim relief for Phogat to participate in the selection trials for the 2026 Senior World Wrestling Championships, but Justice Sharma has said in her order that there were larger questions on how motherhood and maternity are to be balanced against the demands of a sporting career, and whether an athlete ought to require to choose between motherhood and pursuing her career.

The wheels of justice turn slowly in India. Even for the Maharashtra Chief Minister’s wife. Three years after a chargesheet, the case involving Devendra Fadnavis’ wife Amruta Fadnavis and law graduate Aniksha Jaisinghani is still stuck, with forensic reports holding up the trial, and Aniksha preparing to go to the UK for further studies. My report for @ThePrintIndia: theprint.in/politics/the-cur…

The Jharkhand Government says it has agreed to 98% of the demands put forth by protesting students but students say that they will continue their agitation over the demand for a CBI probe. Here is my story from 3 days ago, on how the CBI probe would be a bone of contention: @ThePrintIndia theprint.in/india/jharkhand-…