HC revives IHF, Gill asks Hockey India to go home

New Delhi, May 21 (PTI) The Delhi High Court on Friday
quashed the Central government's order de-recognising the
Indian Hockey Federation(IHF), reviving the sports body and
possibly paving the way for the reinstatement of former cop
KPS Gill as its head.
The Court also set aside the Indian Olympic
Association's (IOA) disaffiliation of the IHF, holding both
this action and the Government's order as illegal.
The IHF was de-recognised and disaffiliated by the
Centre and the IOA in 2008 after its secretary K Jothikumaran
was caught on camera in a sting operation accepting bribe to
select a player.
The Court rejected the plea of the Government that
revival of IHF would result in a "chaotic" situation as Hockey
India had already been formed and that Commonwealth Games is
round the corner.
Gill hailed the verdict and said it is the rejection of
an illegal act done by the IOA and supported by the Ministry.
"Hockey India should go home, pack their bags. Four or
five people who represent hockey have no role to play. They
should go home," he said.
Gill alleged that "personal ambitions" of a few
individuals had led to IHF's disbandment.
Asked about IHF's future course of action, he said, "We
will have a meeting of IHF and then decide our future plans. I
have not yet read the order."
Justice S Muralidhar in his judgment said, "It would be
unfair to the Federation, which has succeeded in showing that
both the orders of disaffiliation and consequent
de-recognition are wholly illegal, to be denied relief for
over two years on the ground that such order might jeopardise
India's participation in a sporting event."
The Court passed the order on a petition filed by the
Federation through its chief Gill challenging the decision
of the Centre and IOA to disband it.
"It is not as if IHF's term is about to expire or that
chaos would result with its revival. The Commonwealth Games
are still a few months away. It will be for the MYAS (Ministry
of Youth Affairs & Sports) to decide how best to go about the
matter," the court said.
The court while quashing the two orders of the IOA and
the government noted that proper procedure was not followed by
them to take such punitive action and that the sporting body
was not given a chance to refute allegations levelled against
it.
"The decision dated 28th April 2008 of the IOA placing
the IHF under suspension and the decision dated 10th May 2009
of the IOA disaffiliating the IHF are hereby quashed.
"The decision dated 12th May 2008 passed by the Ministry
temporarily withdrawing the recognition of the IHF and the
subsequent order dated 10th/11th August 2009 passed by the
Ministry de-recognising the IHF are also hereby quashed," the
court said. PTI