Sudhanshu Mittal welcomes Delhi HC's decision of putting interim stay on IOA President's order
Jun 12, 2020
New Delhi [India], June 12 : The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) Vice President Sudhanshu Mittal on Friday welcomed the decision of Delhi High Court of imposing an interim stay on an order issued by body's president Narinder Dhruv Batra, which removed Mittal and others from the post of Ethics Officers.
Mittal also said he will pursue all legal actions to "ensure that Batra is seized to be the president of the IOA".
"After today's indictment by the High Court which has stayed his illegal order, if there is any morality left in Batra, I think he would tender his resignation from the presidentship of IOA," Mittal told ANI.
"If he does not, I will pursue all legal actions to ensure that at the end of the day, Batra is seized to be the president of the Indian Olympic Association. I have also petitioned to the Sports and Youth Affairs ministry, exposing his misdeeds and asking them to institute an inquiry into his functioning," he added.
Batra had, through an order dated May 19, dissolved the Ethics Commission formed in 2017 and removed all the members of the commission.
A bench of Justice C Harishankar imposed an interim stay on the order passed on May 19 and issued notices to all respondents seeking their response on the matter.
Mittal had recently approached the High Court challenging the decisions dated May 19 and May 25, relating to the removal of the members of the Ethics Commission and Arbitration Commission, by the IOA President.
The petition, filed by Mittal through advocates Ankur Chawla and Jayant Mohan, said that the orders are "bad in law" as the president has no power to either appoint or remove or reconstitute commissions under the memorandum and rules and regulations of the IOA.
Mittal further stated that he has also appealed against Batra to International Olympic Committee (IOC), adding that the latter's misconduct is an 'exhibition of dictatorial mind'.
"I have also appealed against him to the International Olympic Committee. His election to the IOA as its president was completely illegal and fraud. I will pursue it to ensure justice is done. Since I have already appeal to IOC as well as FIH against Batra, I am very sure that his days as president are numbered," he said.
"Looking at his misconduct which actually is an exhibition of dictatorial mind where he has started assuming that he is IOA and IOA is him. I am sure these bodies will take cognizance and very soon Batra will be removed from his job. That will be a great day of relief for IOA," he added.
