The Supreme Court on Monday stayed the ongoing selection process for the post of weightlifting coach under the Sports Authority of Goa, following allegations of bias raised by a woman candidate.
A bench comprising Justices Pankaj Mithal and K V Viswanathan issued notices to the sports body and other respondents after taking note of the woman’s plea that the recruitment process was compromised. The petitioner alleged that her former coach — against whom she had earlier filed a harassment complaint — was part of the selection panel as an examiner, thereby tainting the process with personal bias.
“Permission to file the special leave petition is granted… Issue notice, returnable within six weeks. In the meantime, the order impugned dated June 23, 2025 passed by the high court shall remain stayed,” the bench ordered.
The petitioner’s counsel, Advocate Salvador Santosh Rebello, argued that her client’s chances were unfairly impacted by the involvement of the former coach, and cited the Goa government’s initial acknowledgment of the complaint. The state had agreed to reconduct the physical and skill tests with independent evaluators. However, the Bombay High Court later quashed that decision without hearing the petitioner, allowing the selection process to continue as originally scheduled.
The recruitment, which began with a February 2024 advertisement, involved a three-stage process: a physical fitness test, a skill-based practical test, and a written examination. According to the petitioner, both she and another female candidate cleared the physical stage, but she was unfairly marked in the skill test, allegedly receiving just 17.5% — below the qualifying threshold — while her rival scored 23.5% and advanced.
The petition further claimed that all tests were recorded and videographed, which could serve as evidence of procedural irregularities and bias.
The top court’s intervention now halts the selection process until further review. The matter is expected to come up again after six weeks.
