Batra removed as IOA head, HI under administration
NEW DELHI: Narinder Batra was removed as president of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) on Wednesday after the Delhi high court struck down the post of ‘Life Member’ in Hockey India (HI) on the basis of which he got elected to India’s apex sports body.
A bench of justices Najmi Waziri and SK Sharma in its order said posts such as ‘life president’ and ‘Life Member’ did not conform with the National Sports Code (NSC) and hence must be removed. IOA will be headed by its vice-presidents now with the forced exit of the senior official, who is also the international hockey federation (FIH) president and was elected to head IOA in 2017.
The court has placed Hockey India (HI) under the administration of a three-member committee (Coa)—former Supreme Court judge Anil Dave, former chief election commissioner SY Quraishi and former India hockey captain Zafar Iqbal—to run its day-to-day affairs due to the violation of the NSC.
It means three of India’s federations are now under courtappointed panels. Last week, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) was placed under a COA to re-draw its constitution on the lines required by the government’s sports code and set the date for pending elections. Justice
Dave also heads the body. The Delhi high court placed Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) under a COA in February following a controversy over its administration.
The court direction came on the petition by a member of India’s 1975 hockey World Cupwinning team, Aslam Sher Khan, who challenged Batra’s appointment as life member in HI, contending that it was effectively to circumvent rules after serving as secretary general and president.
One of IOA’S senior vice-presidents—anil Khanna or RK Anand—are likely to head the body in the interim until elections are held.
The court also struck down the post of CEO as ‘illegal’ as it was not in consonance with the sports code. However, the court said the CEO of HI (Elena Norman), who runs the affairs of the game and has no vote, may continue as a consultant after being cleared by COA.
The court came down on Batra for trying to “benefit” elsewhere from an “illegal” post.
Batra has headed FIH since 2016, and was re-elected in 2021. “If R-3 (respondent-3 Batra) has so benefitted, then such benefit or position shall end right away. Let the COA look into the matter, so would the Government of India. ...had himself appointed as Life Member of Hockey India. This smacks of ... brazen impertinence to the clear mandate of law. It was a less than honest but futile endeavour to institutionalise oneself in a body whose legitimacy itself is contingent upon conformity with the Sport Code and the law,” the court ruled. The court empowered the COA to recover money Batra owes as “expenses incurred on such supernumerary, innovative and illegal posts”.
Within hours of the court ruling, Batra issued a statement saying he will not seek re-election for a second term as IOA head as he needed to spend more time with FIH. The IOA elections, postponed from last
December, awaits fresh date due to another pending case.
Batra’s removal from IOA means his International Olympic Committee (IOC) membership could also go.
Batra’s tenure was controversial with constant wrangling between him and IOA secretary general Rajeev Mehta. In June 2020, IOA vice-president Sudhanshu Mittal wrote to IOC alleging irregularities and false declarations by Batra in his election to the top post. In March, Batra apologised for a social media post against former Chief Justice of India RM Lodha, who led the reforms in the cricket board. In April, CBI opened an inquiry against him on alleged misappropriation of ₹35 lakh of HI funds.
HI officials declined comment on the court ruling. A source in HI said an internal meeting will be held on May 30.