Delhi High Court Appoints Former Justice Pankaj Naqvi As Administrator To Handle Affairs Of Judo Federation Of India

The Delhi High Court has appointed former Allahabad High Court judge, Justice Pankaj Naqvi, as administrator to handle day to day affairs of Judo Federation of India.

Justice Yashwant Varma also directed that in the interim, the erstwhile President, General Secretary and Treasurer of the Federation shall extend all cooperation to the Administrator in conducting the affairs of the Federation.

"The Administrator shall be authorized to make appropriate arrangements for the governance of the Federation until elections are held," the Court added.

The Court also directed that the Administrator shall draw up a detailed plan for all preparatory steps that may be required to be undertaken bearing in mind the upcoming Commonwealth Games.

"The Court leaves it open to the Administrator to prioritise pending issues other than those noticed above as per his assessment and judgment," it said.

The Court was dealing with a bunch of pleas raising disputes in the Judo Federation of India amongst its office bearers. The pleas were filed by various State Judo Associations including States of Haryana, Karnataka and Bombay. 

It was admitted before the Court that the term of the erstwhile Executive Body had come to an end and that the office bearers had consequently been rendered functus officio.

During the course of hearing, the counsels for the parties consented to the appointment of an Administrator who may bring the federation in line with the National Sports Code and the Model Guidelines and also take over the day to day administration of the same.

Accordingly, the Court issued the following directions:

- The Administrator shall also act as the signing authority for operation of all bank accounts of the Federation as also the authority for issuance of all financial instruments/cheques on behalf of the Federation and which may be required for the conduct of its day to day affairs, payment of salaries and meeting other expenses.

- The Administrator may submit its first interim report within a period of six weeks from today.

- The Administrator shall further undertake steps to facilitate the holding of elections and ultimately handing over the affairs of the Federation to a democratically elected body.

- No further steps shall be taken by the erstwhile office bearers of the Federation to hold elections till the time the Administrator reviews the status of membership of all constituents of the Federation and submits a report to this Court.

- Any steps taken by the erstwhile management of the Federation in regard to elections and which forms subject matter of challenge in these writ petitions shall also not be proceeded with subject to further orders of the Court.

The matter will now be heard on August 5.

Case Title: HARYANA STATE JUDO ASSOCIATION v. JUDO FEDERATION OF INDIA AND ORS.

Citation: 2022 LiveLaw (Del) 557

Click Here To Read Order