New Delhi, May 19 (PTI) The Supreme Court on Monday referred to the Delhi High Court all the pleas on the election dispute concerning the Boxing Federation of India (BFI).
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh also extended the stay by six weeks on its election process.
“We have discussed the matter in open court. Parties agree that Delhi High Court can be the appropriate forum to agitate all issues….pending before the Himachal Pradesh High Court with liberty to the writ petitioners to file either a fresh writ before the Delhi High Court or join the pending proceedings,” the bench ordered.
The top court, recording the undertaking the parties would not raise the issue of jurisdiction, granted liberty to the parties to seek the extension of the stay order or modification of the direction in the Delhi High Court.
The bench said it was consolidating the pleas filed in Himachal Pradesh, the Punjab and Haryana High Court, Delhi High Court and the Bombay High Court to avoid multiplicity of the proceedings and possibility of conflicting orders.
The bench said arguments of the BFI and others on the issue had become infructuous as the previous international body which recognised the federation was de-recognised by the International Olympic Committee.
The BFI was now recognised by another international sports body, it added.
The top court passed the order on pleas filed by former sports minister Anurag Thakur and the Himachal Pradesh Boxing Association (HPBA) against the Himachal Pradesh High Court order.
Thakur, an executive member of HPBA, was nominated to contest the elections on March 28.
It was argued in the Himachal Pradesh High Court that Thakur’s nomination was “arbitrarily” rejected a few days prior to the election, without an opportunity to be heard, at the behest of former BFI president Ajay Singh.
A single judge bench of the high court stayed Thakur’s disqualification from the electoral college and directed BFI to extend the date of nominations so that he could file his nomination and participate in the polls.
A division bench in April, however, overruled the decision, prompting Thakur and the HPBA to move top court. PTI MNL MNL AMK AMK
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