Former Keral HC Judge to Administer Elections of Basketball Federation of India in Compliance with National Sports Code

On Tuesday, the Delhi High Court appointed former Karnataka High Court judge, Justice P Krishna Bhat, as the administrator of the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) to conduct its elections in compliance with the National Sports Code and Model Election Guidelines (MEG). 

The Court requested that Justice Bhat conclude the election process at the earliest and said he will continue as the administrator until the newly elected body takes over the charge of the federation.

Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav passed the order noting that the term of the office bearers of the federations expired on February 18, 2023 and, therefore, the present elected body does not have any right to continue. 

The Court was dealing with a batch of petitions filed by several state Basketball associations challenging the election process at the federation and the decisions of the returning officer. 

The petitions sought a direction to appoint a retired judge of the Supreme Court or the High Court to supervise the elections.

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After considering the case, Justice Kaurav set aside the order passed by the returning officer rejecting nomination forms of petitioners. The Court then appointed Justice Bhat as the administrator and ordered the Central government and the BFI to ensure compliance with the order. The Court directed all concerned to cooperate with the Administrator for early conduct of the elections.

The Court’s decision is a step forward in ensuring a fair and transparent election process for the Basketball Federation of India. It is an important move to ensure that the National Sports Code and Model Election Guidelines are followed, and that the newly elected body is able to take over the charge of the federation in a timely manner.