The Hindu : New Delhi News : High Court issue notices to Centre, IHF chief

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, May 06, 2005

New Delhi

New Delhi

High Court issue notices to Centre, IHF chief

Staff Reporter

Allegation of financial irregularities in hockey federation Challenging the continuation of Mr. K.P.S. Gill for 11 long years on the post of the president of the Federation, the petitioner said that his continuance was in violation of the guidelines framed by the Government

NEW DELHI: : The Delhi High Court has issued notices to the Union Government, the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF), its president, K.P.S. Gill, and secretary-general, Jyoti Raman, on a petition by the senior vice-president of the Federation, Narinder Batra, seeking an inquiry by the Government into alleged financial irregularities in the organisation and restraining Mr. Gill and Mr. Raman from continuing in office and contesting elections of the body in future.

Issuing the notices, Justice Geeta Mittal asked the respondents to file replies to the allegations by the petitioner within one week. The matter will come up for hearing on May 16.

However, Ms. Mittal refused to pass interim orders on pleas by the petitioner to make available the accounts of the Federation of the past 10 years, prohibit those officer-bearers of the body from fighting elections of the Federation in future who had completed eight years in office and restrain the Federation and Mr. Gill from holding elections to the post of senior vice-president before January 28, 2006.

Challenging the continuation of Mr. Gill for 11 long years on the post of the president of the Federation, the petitioner said that his continuance was in violation of the guidelines framed by the Government.

Arguing on behalf of the petitioner, the former Union Minister for Law & Justice, Arun Jailtley, submitted that the Federation, whose more than 50 percent of the annual budget was taken care of by the Government by way of aid, had flouted the guidelines for spending the money.

Mr. Jaitley accused the Government of colluding with the Federation and allowing the latter to spend the aid money in violation of the guidelines.

He further submitted an in-house chartered accountant of the Federation had also pointed out several lacunae in its accounts.

Opposing the contention of Mr. Jaitley, counsel for the Federation and Mr. Gill, submitted that the guidelines are recommendatory, not mandatory, as the petitioner's counsel had tried to make it out.

He submitted that the money provided by the Government was not used for day-to-day running of the body. The money received in aid from the Government was spent only on organising camps for imparting training to the players and on their travels abroad or in the country to play matches.

He emphasised that the Federation was not a statutory body as it was registered as a voluntary organisation under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 for promotion of hockey in the country.

Counsel for the Union Government submitted that instead of approaching the Court, the petitioner should have first made a representation to the Government on his grievances against the Federation.

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