2012 yearender: HC assuages enraged nation, puts sports bodies to task

The year 2012 saw the Delhi High Court ordering day-to-day trial of sexual offence cases in the aftermath of the brutal gangrape case besides some judicial interventions for loosening decades-old grip of politicians on sports bodies.

Following the widespread protests and calls for speedy justice, the high court came up with the unprecedented order that all sexual offence cases would be tried on daily basis.

Sports bodies Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and Archery Association of India, represented by Suresh Kalmadi, facing trials in graft cases related to the 2010 Commonwealth Games, and V K Malhotra of BJP respectively, were asked to strictly adhere to the National Sports Development Code.

"Quit IOA post or be ready for ouster" was the stern message to Kalmadi by the court which also barred him from taking part in the London Olympics as a sports administrator.

Besides rendering a person older than 70 years ineligible to run the poll for a sports body office, the code provided that no person elected to an office consecutively for three terms would be eligible to run the poll.

In 2012, the court was busy in ensuring fair polls in sports bodies and providing equal opportunities to players.

Sports bodies such as Wrestling Federation of India, Athletic Federation of India, Indian Hockey Federation and Hockey India, All India Chess Federation, Gymnastic Federation of India and All India Football Federation kept replying to court notices during the year.

In an embarrassment to 87-year-old Congress veteran N D Tiwari, the court rejected all his pleas and went ahead with the pronouncement of the DNA test result that declared him the biological father of 32-year-old Rohit Shekher.

Cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar, who recently bid adieu to ODIs, got a relief with the court trashing a PIL challenging his nomination to Rajya Sabha on the ground that experts only from the fields of science, arts, literature and social services can be nominated to the Upper House.

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