30-04-2025
Delhi High Court asks Centre reply after plea seeks official to conduct boxing federation poll
The Delhi High Court on Wednesday (April 30, 2025) sought responses from the Boxing Federation of India and the Centre after a plea sought the appointment of a returning officer to conduct its elections.
Justice Mini Pushkarna issued notice to the federation and the Centre on the application filed by Delhi Amateur Boxing Association and posted the matter in August.
The application forms part of Delhi Amateur Boxing Association's petition against the federation's decision mandating only elected members of its affiliated State units will be authorised to represent their respective states in the elections.
In the application, the petitioner said former returning officer, retired Justice R.K. Gauba, had resigned from the post on April 14.
The former president of Boxing Federation of India, who is a contesting candidate, was trying to delay the elections and attempting to appoint a "compliant returning officer", it alleged further.
The plea said under the Sports Code, a returning officer was required to be independent and in spite of an order by the Himachal High Court and the observers appointed by the World Boxing Federation and the Centre, the BFI was failing to conduct the elections in an unbiased and a timely manner.
On March 19, the court stayed the federation's March 7 decision to allow only elected members of its affiliated state units to represent their respective states in the upcoming elections in the sports body.
Delhi Amateur Boxing Association had moved the high court after the final list of electoral college approved by the then returning officer omitted the two names sent by it — Rohit Jainendra Jain and Neeraj Kant Bhatt on the ground that they were "ineligible" on the basis of the March 7 circular.
The BFI elections, initially slated for March 28, have been postponed.
