Indian wrestler Antim Panghal refutes rumours of French police arresting her, her sister
New Delhi: Indian wrestler Antim Panghal has refuted rumours of her and her sister Nisha being arrested in Paris for attempting to help her siser illegally enter the Olympic Games village, clarifying that the French police, who wanted to verify her true identity, took her sister to the police station.
After Panghal lost 0-10 to Turkey’s Yetgil Zeynep, there were reports of her attempting to sneak her sister into the games village with the help of her accreditation card but was detained by the French police, NDTV has said. Panghal, in a video clip shared by NNIS Sports on Thursday, clarified that, as she had fallen ill she had visited her sister’s hotel, where the trouble started, as she asked her sister Nisha to get the things she had forgotten at the games village.
She has insisted in the video clip that neither was she nor was her sister arrested, but rumours were being spread as Wednesday ‘was just not my day’, when she first lost badly and then the talks began about her being arrested. She further said that, when Nisha found that Panghal had developed a fever after losing the wrestling match, she wanted to take her to the hotel she was staying in. Panghal’s coaches permitted her to go to the hotel as she wasn’t feeling well.
While she slept at the hotel, her sister went towards the games village to get Panghal’s remaining things. At the games village, when Nisha asked the authorities if she could do so, the authorities snatched away the young wrestler’s accreditation card from her sister and took her to the police station to confirm her identity, said Panghal.
She added that her card was returned by the police officers duly after confirming the identity of the card-holder. The news that Panghal’s coaches had a fight with a cab driver was also fake, said the wrestler, stating that the cab was booked by her. She, however, admitted that a language barrier caused a bit of problem when the coaches journeyed to the hotel to get money.
Finally, in reference to her return from Paris, Panghal said that the flight was booked by the Indian Olympics Federation. She urged people not to spread rumours about her stay in Paris.
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Deep societal faultlines persist despite 75 years of independence: Justice Ujjal Bhuyan
Judge cites denial of home to Muslim girl, opposition to Dalit women cooking mid-day meals
Hyderabad, February 23, 2026: Supreme Court judge Justice Ujjal Bhuyan has said that despite repeated affirmations of constitutional morality by courts, deep societal faultlines rooted in caste and religious discrimination continue to shape everyday realities in India.
Speaking at a seminar on “Constitutional Morality and the Role of District Judiciary” organised by the Telangana Judges Association and the Telangana State Judicial Academy in Hyderabad, Justice Bhuyan reflected on the gap between constitutional ideals and social practices.
He cited a recent instance involving his daughter’s friend, a PhD scholar at a private university in Noida, who was denied accommodation in South Delhi after her surname revealed her Muslim identity. According to Justice Bhuyan, the landlady bluntly informed her that no accommodation was available once her religious background became known.
In another example from Odisha, he referred to resistance by some parents to the government’s mid-day meal programme because the food was prepared by Dalit women employed as cooks. He noted that some parents had objected aggressively and refused to allow their children to consume meals cooked by members of the Scheduled Caste community.
Describing these incidents as “the tip of the iceberg,” Justice Bhuyan said they reveal how far society remains from the benchmark of constitutional morality even 75 years into the Republic. He observed that while the Constitution lays down standards of equality and dignity, the morality practised within homes and communities often diverges sharply from those values.
He emphasised that constitutional morality requires governance through the rule of law rather than the rule of popular opinion. Referring to the evolution of the doctrine through judicial decisions, he cited Naz Foundation v Union of India, in which the Delhi High Court read down Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, holding that popular morality cannot restrict fundamental rights under Article 21. Though the judgment was later overturned in Suresh Kumar Koushal v Naz Foundation, the Supreme Court ultimately restored and expanded the principle in Navtej Singh Johar v Union of India, affirming that constitutional morality must prevail over majoritarian views.
“In our constitutional scheme, it is the constitutionality of the issue before the court that is relevant, not the dominant or popular view,” he said.
Justice Bhuyan also addressed the functioning of the district judiciary, underlining that trial courts are the first point of contact for most litigants and form the foundation of the justice delivery system. He stressed that due importance must be given to the recording of evidence and adjudication of bail matters.
Highlighting the role of High Courts, he said their supervisory jurisdiction under Article 227 of the Constitution is intended as a shield to correct grave jurisdictional errors, not as a mechanism to substitute the discretion or factual appreciation of trial judges.
He recalled that several distinguished judges, including Justice H R Khanna, Justice A M Ahmadi, and Justice Fathima Beevi, began their careers in the district judiciary.
On representation within the judicial system, Justice Bhuyan noted that Telangana has made significant strides in gender inclusion. Out of a sanctioned strength of 655 judicial officers in the Telangana Judicial Service, 478 are currently serving, of whom 283 are women, exceeding 50 per cent representation. He added that members of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, minority communities, and persons with disabilities are also represented in the state’s judiciary.
He observed that greater representation of women, marginalised communities, persons with disabilities, and sexual minorities would help make the judiciary more inclusive and reflective of India’s diversity. “The judiciary must represent all the colours of the rainbow and become a rainbow institution,” he said.
Justice Bhuyan also referred to the recent restoration by the Supreme Court of the requirement of a minimum three years of practice at the Bar for entry-level judicial posts. While acknowledging that the requirement ensures practical exposure, he cautioned that its impact on women aspirants, especially those from rural or small-town backgrounds facing social and financial constraints, would need to be carefully observed over time.
Concluding his address, he reiterated that the justice system must strive to bridge the gap between constitutional ideals and lived realities, ensuring that the rule of law remains paramount.
