SC to hear appeal of IOA against Delhi HC order setting up panel to run it

The Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to hear during the day itself the appeal of the Indian Olympic Association challenging the Delhi High Court direction for setting up of a three-member Committee of Administrators (COA) to take over the affairs of the sports body.

A bench headed by Chief Justice N V Ramana took note of the submissions of Solicitor General Tushar Mehta that the appointment of the CoA may lead to the Association’s suspension by the International Olympic Committee as it happened in the case of the All India Football Federation (AIFF) recently.

The bench agreed to hear the appeal of the IOA during the day after finishing the hearing of listed matters. The Delhi High Court on August 16 had ordered the setting up of a three-member CoA to manage the affairs of the IOA. The high court said the “persistent recalcitrance” of the IOA to comply with the Sports Code made it imperative that its affairs be put in the hands of the COA comprising former Supreme Court judge Justice Anil R Dave, former Chief Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi, and former Secretary of Ministry of External Affairs Vikas Swarup.