Award to ex-wrestling coach: HC sets aside single judge order

Delhi High Court today set aside an order of its single judge which had directed the Centre to confer Dronacharya Award 2015 on former chief national wrestling coach Vinod Kumar.
A division bench headed by Chief Justice G Rohini asked the single judge to look afresh into the plea by Kumar, who had moved the high court against Dronacharya Award selection committee for ignoring him for the prestigious honour.
The court's direction came on the plea filed by Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports challenging a single judge order which was passed yesterday.
The Ministry had sought an urgent hearing as the award ceremony is scheduled to be held today.

The bench asked the single judge to conclude the matter within six weeks, adding that if the judge finds Kumar to be deserving, then the Ministry will have to give him the award.
It, however, refused to interfere on the issue of conferring of award on Anup Singh, whose name was recommended by the Dronacharya Selection Committee, saying the single judge will look into all aspects.

Justice V P Vaish had yesterday directed the Centre to include the name of Vinod Kumar in the list of awardees for Dronacharya Award 2015, saying it was "alarming" that the selection committee had not considered the accolades conferred on him.

The judge was silent on the aspect of whether or not Anup Singh, should be given the award, but had reduced his score from 377.5 to 337.5, saying he cannot be given points based on the medals of another wrestler Geetika Jakhar.
Kumar, who was the chief national men's team coach from November 2010 to April 2015, had claimed that he had earned more points for his achievements of his wards at international tournaments than Anup Singh.
Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) had sacked Vinod as chief national coach in May this year after his performance as mentor was allegedly found to be inadequate during the Doha Asian Championship.