CHENNAI: In a big relief to the Boxing Federation of India (BFI), the Delhi High Court on Monday set aside the ad-hoc committee formed by the Indian Olympic Association on February 24. The BFI had approached the court after IOA president, PT Usha, formed a five-member ad-hoc committee primarily for not holding elections on time.
According to Parth Goswami, the BFI lawyer who specialises in sports, the High Court has taken cognizance of their petition and just like in the case of the Bihar Olympic Association, the court followed the same directive this time as well. The same judge was involved then. "The Delhi HC had stayed the ad-hoc committee formed by the IOA through its letter dated February 24," said Goswami.
The BFI lawyer said that the HC contended with the boxing body's argument that the IOA president did not have the authority to form an ad-hoc committee. The BFI petition had said that the order was "issued unilaterally without any prior notice, discussion, or correspondence with the petitioner, in clear violation of the principles of natural justice". The HC order can be challenged by the next date of hearing, which is scheduled to be held on March 27. It remains to be seen if IOA would approach the court against this order. The matter was heard by Delhi HC judge Sachin Datta.
Interestingly, a day before the hearing, the BFI had sent a letter to the IOA on March 2, signed by not just the president, who seemed alienated, but also the secretary and the treasurer against whom an enquiry had been initiated on complaints of financial irregularities.
When the ad-hoc committee was formed, the BFI president seemed to be on the one side while the other two office bearers on the other.
Whether the Delhi HC stays the ad-hoc committee or not, the main issue still remains — that of not conducting the elections on time (February 2/3 seemed to have been the day this body's tenure was supposed to get over). Though the dates have not been announced, there is a possibility that the elections could be held in the next 45 days. Going by the BFI's March 2 letter, the house is unified and is committed to holding the elections. "We assure you that this process will be completed in a fair and transparent manner within the next 45 days," said the letter.
It is understood that the IOA also appraised the court of the letter and its commitment towards holding the elections. It needs to be seen when the BFI are holding the elections. The sports ministry had also written to the BFI about not holding elections on time. In a reply to BFI's request for time to host the elections, the sports ministry had said that the federation, according to its earlier directive, should have conducted the elections one month before the expiry of its EC. However, under special circumstances, a three-month extension could be given after which the EC would cease to exist.
The World Boxing (WB) has already said that they would be in touch with BFI, the elected body headed by president Ajay Singh, until a resolution of dispute would be officially communicated to them by the national boxing federation. The WB chief, in an interview with this newspaper, had said that they will support BFI. The WB recently got provisional recognition as the international federation by the International Olympic Committee.
The election bugle has already been sounded. Singh can hold on to his position as the president with 2/3 majority this time. The secretary has served two four-year terms — one as treasurer and the other as secretary. It needs to be seen if he needs a mandatory cooling off as directed by the Delhi HC order in 2022.
