Petition against Sarma and other office-bearers to be banned from BAI

The Supreme Court admitted the appeal to remove Himanta Biswa Sarma as the president from Badminton Association of India (BAI) including other political office bearers from the Association.

A bench of three judge led by Chief Justice of India, Dipak Misra issued the notice to the Centre, BAI and it’s president on the petition filed by a New Delhi resident, Kamlesh Verma. The intention behind the petition is to make badminton free from politicians.

The petition asked the court to take a leaf out of the Lodha Panel committee that went through the BCCI case. Justice Lodha's reform to ban political ministers from occupying position in the apex cricket body was upheld by the Supreme Court.

Senior advocate Shanti Bhushan and advocate Rohit Singh represented Mr Verma, said that the same ban must be applied in all sporting activities. He said, “The petitioner is seeking directions to supersede the present office-bearers of the Badminton Association of India with immediate effect and appoint in their place a panel/ committee of administrators, as done in the case of BCCI, to ensure the smooth functioning of the Association.”

The petition also said that Mr Sarma neither has qualification to hold the top position at the Association nor he has never been a badminton player at any level. “He has never been badminton player at any level and thus, he has no connection whatsoever with the sports of badminton,” Mr. Bhushan submitted.

Besides, Sarma facing the corruption charges as well as said by the petition. “One of them is relating to Saradha Chit Fund Scam in which he had been summoned by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Special Unit set up by the Supreme Court and his house was raided by the CBI.”