PANAJI: The Supreme Court has set aside a 2025 Bombay High Court at Goa judgment concerning the recruitment of a Weightlifting Coach (Grade IV), directing a fresh hearing after noting that candidate Vaishnavi S. Ugadekar was not given an opportunity to present her case.
The apex court directed the High Court to include Ugadekar as a party and reconsider the dispute after hearing both candidates vying for the post.
The dispute arose during the Goa government’s recruitment process after Ugadekar questioned the fairness of the selection procedure and lodged a complaint with the concerned state authority. Following her complaint, the authority ordered the selection tests to be conducted again, a decision challenged by the rival candidate before the High Court.
On June 23, 2025, the High Court decided the matter without Ugadekar being included in the proceedings. She subsequently approached the Supreme Court, arguing that the ruling had been delivered without hearing her, despite her direct interest in the appointment.
The Supreme Court observed that both candidates were the only contenders for the post and held that the dispute required reconsideration after hearing both sides. It accordingly set aside the earlier judgment and restored the original writ petition for fresh adjudication.
The recruitment dispute will now be examined by the High Court on its merits. The Supreme Court’s order addresses the fairness of the earlier proceedings and does not determine the final outcome of the recruitment dispute.
Advocate Salvador Santosh Rebello appeared for Ugadekar, assisted by Advocates Sneha Bhargava, Ankit Rana and Devesh Khandelwal.
