Delhi HC stays boxing federation move to exclude non-elected members in polls

New Delhi, Mar 19 (PTI) The Delhi High Court on Wednesday stayed the order of the Boxing Federation of India mandating only elected members of its affiliated state units were authorised to represent their respective states in its upcoming elections.
     Justice Mini Pushkarna while dealing with a petition by the Delhi Amateur Boxing Association ordered, "The operation of March 7 circular by the Boxing Federation of India (BFI) is stayed till the next date of hearing."
     The judge clarified that the process of election would continue along with the declaration of results but the same was subject to its decision on the plea.
     "It is clarified that the election process shall continue dehors the effect and operation of the March 7 circular. Election results shall be declared, which shall be subject to the outcome of the present petition," the court said and deferred the hearing in August.
     The elections are scheduled to be held on March 28.
     The final list of electoral college approved by the returning officer also omitted the two names sent by the Delhi Amateur Boxing Association--Rohit Jainendra Jain and Neeraj Kant Bhatt--finding them "ineligible" on the basis of the March 7 circular.
     BJP MP Anurag Thakur, who was nominated by the Himachal Pradesh Boxing Association, was also declared ineligible for the polls on this account.
     His name, as a result, was not included in the final list approved by the returning officer.
     Saying the matter needed consideration, the court issued notices on the petition and granted time to the Centre and the BFI to file their responses within four weeks.
     The court observed the petitioner body made out a prima facie case in its favour and would be prejudiced if it was not allowed to participate in the election process.
     The March 7 notice, sent to all affiliate state associations, said only bonafide and duly-elected members during the annual general meeting (duly notified to BFI) of the state units affiliated with the BFI should be authorised to represent their respective states or union territories.
     Represented by senior advocate Abhijat and advocate Vidushpat Singhania, the Delhi Amateur Boxing Association said the March 7 circular was in violation of the sports code, the election guidelines and the rules of the BFI.
     The senior counsel said the circular was "monopolistic" and the outcome of the BFI President Ajay Singh's malafide exercise of power and that the returning officer failed to properly adjudicate the grievances.
     He also accused Singh of "ousting" his competition in the polls and "handpicking" the voter list to "ensure a victory for himself".
     The petitioner, the counsel said, did not want the election process to be stalled.
     Senior advocate Dayan Krishnan, who appeared for BFI, said the election process was at an advanced stage and at this stage, the court ought not intervene.
     He argued that the returning officer rightly accepted the voter list approved by the BFI president and even as per the interpretation of the Centre, as shown in certain file notings, members who could participate in polls have to be duly elected.
     The Centre's counsel said the March 7 order was apparently against the tenor of the election rules and the purported file notings were yet to culminate in any final order.
     The petitioner said the BFI president's move was based on his convenience as during the 2016 elections, his own name was included in the electoral college as a representative of the Uttarakhand Boxing Association despite not being an elected member of the association but solely based on nomination.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)