HC seeks Centre's stand on plea to appoint observer for JFI

The Delhi High Court today sought the government's response on a PIL seeking appointment of an impartial observer for the elections to the Judo Federation of India.
A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar listed the matter for November 24, when the issue of appointment of observer for the elections would be decided.
A petition filed by Arjuna Awardee judoka Yashpal Solanki highlighted the issue of alleged racketeers indulging in supplying bogus participation certificates to disqualified judokas (Judo players).
Solanki, who is also a senior intelligence officer in the Punjab Police, stated in the PIL that fake sports certificate racket has been running since 2001.

These certificates are used for backdoor admissions to medical colleges and appointment in government services, he has alleged.
With regard to the elections to the Judo Federation of India (JFI), the petition states that "either a government appointed or court appointed administrator can hold free and fair organisational elections of the JFI as election under the influence of respondent no.5 (President Mukesh Kumar) can never be free and fair."
The petition, filed through advocate Pathak Rakesh Kaushik, alleged that Mukesh Kumar was indulging in "fraud practices in the election affairs."
It also claimed that voters from Arunachal Pradesh and Tripura State Judo Associations were "dishonestly excluded" from the electoral college, while those from Border Security Force, Indo-Tibetan Border Police, Central Reserve Police, All India Police Sports Control Board and Services Sports Control Board (SSCB) were unlawfully included.