HC disposes of plea against badminton body's 2014 elections

The Delhi High Court has disposed of a plea alleging arbitrariness in the 2014 polls of the Badminton Association of India (BAI), saying keeping it pending would have a "demoralising effect" on the "positive work" done by the sports body over the years.
A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar said the BAI has helped in developing the sport in which Indian players have achieved international accolade.
The bench disposed of the plea of former international power-lifter Maj (Dr) Surendra Poonia, who had urged the court to quash the BAI election held on January 25, 2014.

It said the plea, which had challenged the appointment of then elected BAI President Akhilesh Das Gupta, has become infructuous as he passed away in April. It noted that Himanta Biswa Sarma has succeeded Gupta and is now the President of the BAI.
The bench recorded the submission by central government standing counsel Manish Mohan that fresh elections were conducted this year and the next poll for electing the BAI office-bearers were due in 2018.
It took note of the BAI's contribution "to the development of the sport of badminton wherein Indian players have achieved international accolades and laurel, that too repeatedly at every level in international tournaments."

It said the pendency of the petition would "certainly have an extremely demoralising effect on ... positive work already done and being undertaken by the Association."
Seeking fresh election, the petitioner had claimed that the 2014 poll process was unfair, arbitrary, without any rationale and against the BAI rules and other laws.