The Delhi High Court on Monday revoked the grant of Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar (RKPP) for 2011 to Indian Olympic Association president N. Ramachandran, who is also president of the World Squash Federation.
Mr. Ramachandran had received the prize in the category of “establishment and management of sports academies of excellence.”
Allowing a writ petition moved by Tatpal Singh Jaggi and others, the Court held that Mr. Ramachandran’s selection for the prize, instituted by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, was vitiated by lack of proper inquiry and application of mind.
A Division Bench comprising Justice S. Ravindra Bhat and Justice R.K. Gauba said in its 53-page verdict that while awarding the prize to Mr. Ramachandran, no attempt was made to verify his claims of achievement.
“The decision, based on the Selection Committee’s recommendation, is unsupportable in law.”
In some strong observations, the Court said the manner which the selection took place with respect to Mr. Ramachandran had not only revealed a “casual and uncritical acceptance of whatever was offered by the applicant, but also exemplifies what is wrong in such matters in Indian sports.”
The Bench noted that the disconnect between the sportspersons and general public was thrown up in the present instance where the squash players and coaches had no voice in the selection of RKPP or its awarding.
“The total disregard to the voices of squash players — past or present, and the squash coaches — past or present — in the opinion of this Court, was an insult to the sports,” stated the judgment.
The Court directed the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Sports Authority of India and Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu to pass orders revoking the grant of the prize to Mr. Ramachandran within four weeks.
Holding that the exclusion of eminent sportspersons from the Selection Committee of RKPP was without any basis, the Court also directed the Sports Ministry to reconstitute the committee for 2016 by making the provision for including such persons.
The petitioner had submitted that the Sports Ministry and Sports Authority of India had not carried out due diligence mandated by Rule 12 of the scheme for RKPP and alleged that the Union government had turned a blind eye to the irregularities in the field of awarding the prize.
