HC removes husband-wife duo from kabaddi association

Vinayak Padmadeo

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 3

The Delhi High Court has appointed Sanat Kaul as the administrator of the Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India (AKFI).

The court has also declared the election of Janardan Singh Gahlot as  life president and his wife Mridula Bhadauria’s election as the president of AKFI as illegal. The elections were held on May 19, 2013 and on April 23, 2018.

The court has also directed that all the financial benefits enjoyed by Ms Bhadauria as the president be recovered. 

“Given the totally clandestine and surreptitious manner in which the provisions of Memorandum of Association were illegally amended in order to enable respondent No. 5 (Ms Bhadauria) to contest for the post of president, we further direct that respondent No. 5 render accounts of all financial benefits which have enured to respondent No. 5 as in her capacity as the president of AKFI since the time of her appointment to the said post on 19th May until date, and the same be recovered from her, forthwith,” the order reads. Kaul has been entrusted to “ensure that the electoral college of AKFI is prepared and the elections are held in accordance with the model election guidelines within three months.”

Fresh trials

Further, Justice C. Hari Shankar has ordered a fresh round of selection trials after doubts were raised in the selection of the team for the Asian Games.  “The date and schedule of the selection process shall be posted on the websites of Sports India, Indian Olympic Association, the Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India as well as all the state kabaddi associations,” the order reads.

Interestingly, the trials will pit the Asian Games-bound players against those picked from all over the country.