Delhi HC seeks response of Centre, BFI on RO issue
New Delhi: The Delhi high court on Wednesday sought the response of the Centre and Boxing Federation of India (BFI) on a plea filed by Delhi Amateur Boxing Association (DABA) for appointment of an independent returning officer (RO) to oversee and conduct the elections of the Boxing Federation of India (BFI), facing controversy over management and transparency issues.
The plea was necessitated after former Delhi high court judge, justice (retd) RK Gauba stepped down as the RO on April 14, attributing his decision to an unhealthy and uncalled for 'smear campaign' allegedly orchestrated by different factions within the federation. Gauba was appointed by BFI's former president Ajay Singh on March 7.
In its application argued by senior advocate Abhijat Bal, along with advocates Vidushpat Singhania and Prateek Chadha, DABA argued that there was a need for appointment of an 'independent returning officer', since the erstwhile RO was appointed by Singh, who was himself contesting for the post of President in the forthcoming elections.
Though the current term of the BFI's executive committee ended on February 2, no new elections for the office-bearers for the 2025-29 have been held so far. The elections were initially scheduled for March 28, but due to the failure to conduct elections, the federation is currently being managed by a six-member interim committee. This committee was formulated by World Boxing on April 7 and is chaired by Singh.
A bench of justice Mini Pushkarna issued notice to BFI, and Union sports ministry and posted the matter for hearing on August 18.
BFI was represented by senior advocate Rajshekhar Rao, while the union sports ministry was represented by standing counsel Premtosh Kumar Mishra.
DABA suggested that the appointment of an independent RO was imperative to uphold the objectives of the Sports Code, ensure conducting and carry forwarding the elections in a free, fair and transparent manner. 'The current state of governance within the BFI, marked by non-compliance with the Sports Code and procedural lapses, underscores the pressing need for oversight to ensure transparency, accountability and uninterrupted progression of the sports,' the petition stated.
The application was filed by DABA in its petition challenging BFI's March 7 circular allowing elected members of the state units to participate in the elections. On March 19, justice Mini Pushkarna had allowed DABA to participate in BFI's upcoming elections by staying BFI's March 7 circular till August 18. However, BFI had appealed against the order before the division bench, which is currently pending.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India Today
2 hours ago
- India Today
Left waiting in ambulance for hours, minor rape victim dies at Patna hospital
A minor from Bihar's Muzaffarpur, who was raped and subsequently assaulted, died on Sunday morning in Patna. The girl was lured with a chocolate near her aunt's house and taken to a maize field in Muzaffarpur, where she was raped on May rape victim was referred to Patna Medical College Hospital (PMCH), where she was made to wait in an ambulance for several hours on Saturday due to a lack of beds -- just a day before she died -- according to news agency PTI, citing state Congress chief Rajesh Ram, who was present at the hospital at the time of to the police, there were slash wounds on the girl's throat and chest. The accused tried to kill her by slitting her throat, the police added, as reported by PTI. "Her vocal cords were damaged, and she was unable to speak. The accused was arrested," a police official told PTI. The girl was first brought in with neck and internal injuries at the Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital in Muzaffarpur on May 26, PMCH superintendent Dr Abhijit Singh told news agency Singh said that the medical staff were prompt in their response as soon as the victim was admitted to PMCH with doctors attending her in the ambulance."She was taken to the ICU, and doctors from all departments treated her for the entire night. The doctor examined her in the ambulance, and then she was admitted too...," he said. advertisementDismissing the allegations of negligence made by the victim's family, Singh said, "If such an incident takes place with anyone, the family will make allegations of negligence. We actively treated her right after we learned about this case."The incident has sparked a massive political row in poll-bound Bihar with Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi saying that "a minor Dalit girl in Muzaffarpur" died out of systemic apathy and medical to X, he wrote, "The brutality against a minor Dalit girl in Muzaffarpur and the subsequent negligence in her treatment is extremely shameful. If she had received timely treatment, her life could have been saved. But the double-engine government was negligent not only in providing security but also in saving her life."Demanding justice for the victim, Rahul further wrote, 'We will not sit quietly until the victim's family gets justice. Strict action should be taken against the culprits and negligent officers."
Mint
3 hours ago
- Mint
Shreyas Iyer loses his cool at Shashank Singh in viral video after MI clash: ‘Muhn mat lagna tu mere…'
Punjab Kings skipper Shreyas Iyer was the poster boy of calmness as he led the franchise to their first IPL Final in 11 years with a six off Ashwini Kumar. Even after the match, Iyer remained calm while his teammates exploded in celebrations. However, a new video has now emerged where Iyer is seen losing his temper at fellow teammate Shashank Singh and even hurling a few abuses. Iyer refused to shake hands with Singh after the match and said 'Muhn mat lagna tu mere (Don't talk to me)', accompanied by a few colourful words, if netizens are to believed. The PBKS skipper hasn't officially revealed the reason for losing his composure so everything is just specualtion at the moment. However, Iyer might have been unhappy with the way Singh lost his wicket. Notably, Shashank Singh was dismissed on the 4th ball of the 17th over while running casually towards his mark while a direct throw from Hardik Pandya shattered the stumps. With 35 runs needed off 20 runs at this stage, the dismissal of Singh could have turned costly for PBKs. As it turns out, Iyer kept the PBKS innings going all by himself and nudged even good balls from Jasprit Bumrah and Trent Boult towards the boundary line. It was ultimately during the 19th over of the match that Iyer let himself loose as he took on the left handed Ashwini Kumar as he hit the bowler for four sixes and accumulated a total of 27 runs from his over. Iyer ended the innings with 87 runs off 41 balls while also overcoming Prabhsimran Singh as the highest run scorer for Punjab Kings this season. The PBKS skipper has scored 603 runs in the 16 matches so far with an average of 54.81 and a strike rate of 175.80.
India Gazette
11 hours ago
- India Gazette
Lavender gave small J&K town of Bhaderwah national identity, role in India's economic growth: Jitendra Singh
New Delhi [India], June 1 (ANI): Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh praised the Agri-Startup model of Lavender farming as a transformative force that has rewritten the narrative of entrepreneurship in remote and hilly terrains, saying that Lavender has given the small J&K town of Bhaderwah a national identity and also a national role in India's economic growth. 'Bhaderwah, once a quiet hilly town, is now a beacon of India's rural startup revolution. Lavender has not just added fragrance to these mountains--it has added identity, income, and inspiration,' said Singh while inaugurating 2-day Lavender festival 2025 organized by CSIR- IIIM Jammu in Bhaderwah town of Jammu. 'This single mission has answered multiple challenges,'Jitendra Singh said, 'It busted the myth that StartUps are limited to IT or require foreign degrees. Our youth in Jammu & Kashmir, in collaboration with CSIR-IIIM, have shown that passion, perseverance, and learning can build sustainable ventures rooted in agriculture.' He proudly shared that young entrepreneurs in Bhaderwah are earning an average of Rs 65 lakhs annually through lavender cultivation and value-added products, motivating many others to leave conventional jobs and pursue farming as a lucrative business opportunity, according to the Ministry of Science & Technology. Jitendra Singh credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for introducing Bhaderwah and the Purple Revolution to the national stage. 'When the Prime Minister dedicated nearly ten minutes in his 'Mann Ki Baat' to talk about this Lavender mission in detail, it gave the best possible global introduction to Bhaderwah--one that we couldn't have imagined,' Singh said. The Minister emphasised that it was PM Modi's vision of StartUp India and StandUp India, announced from the ramparts of the Red Fort, that ignited the entrepreneurial spirit in regions that previously needed long explanations to justify their existence on the developmental map. Singh revealed that there are currently 50 distillation units operational in Bhaderwah, with lavender-derived products being supplied to markets in Maharashtra and other states. The model has not only attracted attention from neighboring states like Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, but also from the North-Eastern states, whose representatives were present at the festival to gain first-hand insights. 'This is a new paradigm the world is witnessing - a rural, agriculture-based startup revolution that is both scalable and sustainable,' he remarked. Another myth that Jitendra Singh addressed was the misconception that StartUps are only for the young. He shared that a special exhibition featuring 60+ age group entrepreneurs will be showcased in the next edition of the festival. Drawing a broader economic context, Singh said, 'India has moved from the 5th largest to the 4th largest economy, and sectors like lavender cultivation will further fuel our rise. These unexplored areas, when empowered, will become pillars of value addition and employment generation.' He also addressed skepticism around India's economic resilience amid aggressive defence postures. 'Despite challenging times and operations like Sindoor, India's economy has not only remained buoyant but also grown. That is a fitting reply to skeptics,' he asserted. Concluding his address, Singh praised Dr Zabeer and the CSIR-IIIM team for organizing an unprecedented event in Bhaderwah that drew visitors from all over India. He invited everyone to visit the lavender fields over the next 10-15 days during peak bloom and hear directly from the entrepreneurs themselves. (ANI)
