Court refuses to stay IOA elections

New Delhi, Nov 23 (IANS) Delhi High Court Friday refused to stay the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) elections, scheduled for Dec 5, on a plea seeking the court’s direction to restrain the IOA from holding elections as it was not following the sports code of the government.

A division bench of Chief Justice D. Murugesan and Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw declined to stay the IOA elections and posted the matter for Dec 17.

Advocate Rahul Mehra, who filed an application seeking a stay on the elections, said S.Y. Quraishi, former chairman of the three−member election panel, had resigned from the post saying that IOA had failed to follow the government guidelines, so election should be stayed.

Earlier, the court had directed the association to hold elections as per the sports code.

The elections were earlier scheduled for Nov 25, but after Quraishi’s resignation, they were postponed for Dec 5.

In his resignation letter, Quraishi said he was “quitting the commission because he wants that IOA elections be held under the sports code of the government of India”.

The plea also sought the court’s directions for the central government to “derecognise” the IOA and create an ad hoc committee comprising eminent and elite sports persons and former Olympic medal winners to conduct day−to−day affairs of the IOA till fresh elections.

It also asked the court to direct the government to immediately withdraw financial assistance and other benefits given to the association.

Recently, after Quraishi’s resignation, the IOA appointed Anil Dev Singh, retired chief justice of the Rajasthan High Court, as the head of its three−member election panel.

IANS 2012-11-23 18:04:22