The Delhi High Court has recently taken a significant step to address the allegations of impropriety in the functioning of the Equestrian Federation of India (EFI). The court has appointed an ad-hoc administrative committee under its retired judge to oversee the affairs of the EFI.
Allegation against Equestrian Federation of India
The EFI, the governing body for equestrian sports in India, had been facing allegations of maladministration and non-transparency. The court’s intervention came in response to a petition filed by the Rajasthan Equestrian Association, which argued that the EFI was conducting elections in contravention of the National Sports Development Code of 2011.
Justice Tara V Ganju, who presided over the case, stated that ordinarily, a court does not interfere in the administration of a national sports federation. However, when there is clear impropriety and the administration is being carried out in an arbitrary or perverse manner, the situation cannot be ignored.
The ad-hoc administrative committee (AAC) appointed by the court comprises former high court judge Justice Najmi Waziri as its chairperson, former Chief Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi as observer/member, and advocate Rohini Musa as member. The AAC is tasked with taking over the day-to-day administration and functioning of the EFI.
Once the AAC assumes charge, the existing office bearers will no longer be entitled to discharge any function. The AAC will have the power to issue all appropriate directions necessary for the day-to-day functioning of the EFI under the signatures of the Chairperson.
#DelhiHighCourt appoints Committee to manage the Equestrian Federation of India finding 'impropriety' in its functioning.@MLJ_GoI | @shreyagarwal_12 | #EquestrianFederationOfIndia
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The court has given the EFI 10 days to submit a report to the AAC, setting out all the decisions taken by the federation’s erstwhile secretary general from September 29, 2023, to date. The AAC is expected to file its report within six weeks and thereafter, as directed by the court.
This interim arrangement will continue until further orders of the court. The appointment of the AAC is a significant step towards ensuring the proper functioning of the EFI. It is expected to bring about much-needed reforms and improvements in the governance of equestrian sports in India. The move also sends a strong message about the court’s commitment to uphold the principles of fairness and justice in sports administration.
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