New Delhi, Oct 27 The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Tuesday directed suspended Boxing Federation of India (BFI) secretary general Pramod Kumar to keep the Special General Meeting scheduled for Wednesday in abeyance until the next hearing on November 13, following a petition filed by federation president Ajay Singh.
Kumar, however, said while the no-confidence motion against Singh had been dropped from the agenda, the state units would meet on Wednesday.
Singh had filed a petition, which challenges an October 8 notice proposing a no-confidence motion against him and convening a SGM for that purpose.
The order comes after World Boxing — the world governing body of the sport — in an email dated October 23, emphasised that any National Federation General Meeting must be convened and conducted in accordance with the applicable BFI constitution.
Justice Tribhuvan Dahiya issued notice of motion for November 13 on Singh’s petition.
“In the meanwhile, the second respondent is directed to keep the General Body meeting in abeyance till the next date of hearing,” the court said in its order.
Kumar said around 28 state units have already gathered in Delhi for the meeting.
“We have filed a counter appeal,” Kumar told PTI.
“We have dropped the no confidence motion from the agenda tomorrow but we will go ahead with the meeting as around 28 state units have gathered here,” he added.
“We will discuss the grievances and the problems of the state units,” he added.
The order records the petitioner’s contention that the BFI constitution permits the president’s removal only through a no-confidence motion supported by at least three-fourths of the General Body members at a meeting specially convened for the purpose.
It also records his contention that a Special General Meeting can be convened only by the president or upon a request from two-thirds of the Executive Committee members.
Citing Clause 33 (ii) of the BFI constitution, the federation said the president may call a Special General Meeting at his discretion or must call one to be convened within 30 days following a written request from two-thirds of the Executive Council members.
The federation maintained that neither of these conditions had been met in the present case, rendering the purported meeting called by the suspended secretary general unlawful.
The BFI also cited Clause 26 (iii), which provides for the secretary general to convene General Council and Executive Council meetings only on the president’s advice.
The federation further referred to the president’s powers of suspension under Clauses 24 (xvi), 24 (xxviii) and 24 (xxxvi), alongside the applicable procedural safeguards.
Clause 30 separately provides for the president’s power to suspend Executive Committee members, subject to requirements concerning a hearing, written reasons, ratification and appeal.
The federation urged all members to take pride in India’s success in the sport and follow the BFI constitution and comply with the orders of the High Court.
It also called on members to desist from distractions and focus on Indian boxing’s dream of Olympic glory.
The power struggle within the BFI has seen Singh and Kumar issue suspension orders against each other.
Kumar has been under investigation since August over alleged financial irregularities and the cancellation of a national championship.
After Kumar proposed the no-confidence motion, Singh suspended him with immediate effect pending an inquiry into alleged financial irregularities, non-cooperation with investigations and misuse of authority.
A day later, Kumar issued a counter order suspending Singh pending the outcome of the no-confidence motion.
(PTI News)
