New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Monday refused to form a committee to conduct the affairs of Indian Olympic Association (IOA), recently suspended by International Olympic Committee (IOC) owing to the government's alleged interference into its affairs and non-observance of Olympic charter by it. "We are not going to appoint any authority or committee or anybody to run the IOA," a bench of Chief Justice D Murugesan and Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw said.
The court said this in response to a plea by an advocate, Rahul Mehra, who has filed an interim application in a pending PIL for formation of an ad-hoc committee of eminent sports persons and former Olympic medal winners to conduct IOA's day-to-day affairs. "Then, please send the names (suggested as members of the proposed committee) to the Sports Ministry for consideration," Mehra said.
Meanwhile, senior advocate Vikas Singh, appearing for IOA, sought an urgent hearing on another petition filed by the sports body for quashing of the National Sports Code, 2011 on the ground that the alleged governmental interference has led IOA's suspension by the IOC. "We are ready to examine the Sports Code, but, you have to put your house in order first," Justice Endlaw said.
The court then adjourned the hearing on the PIL and the petition of IOA to January 14 after some lawyers said they have not been given the copies of various applications filed by Mehra.
Mehra, meanwhile, also mentioned his another fresh plea seeking court's urgent intervention in the upcoming polls on December 20 for All India Football Federation on the ground that the sports code has been violated as even a proper roll of electoral college has not been prepared. The court also asked Mehra to supply the copies of his applications to the lawyers of the IOA and the Centre and warned the advocates against raising such objections in future hearings.
"Nobody is interested in clearing the mess even after 65 years of the independence and such objections pop up like popcorns at the time of hearings and some of my applications are pending hearing for almost last two years," Mehra said.
In a huge embarrassment, the IOC has recently suspended IOA citing the alleged government interference as one of its reasons. The IOC had also alleged non-observance of Olympic Charter while holding elections as a reason for its action.
Mehra, in one of its pleas, had sought a direction to the Sports Ministry to "de-recognise" IOA and create an ad-hoc committee of eminent sports persons and former Olympic medal winners such as Rajyavardhan Rathore, Abhinav Bindra, Saina Nehwal, Mary Kom, Sushil Kumar and Vijender Singh.
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