Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court has held Hockey India and its secretary general Bhola Nath Singh guilty of contempt of court for wilfully disobeying its earlier order, in a significant ruling that raises serious questions over governance within national sports bodies.Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav, in an order dated April 20, said he would hear the issue of sentencing on May 4, while granting Singh liberty to “purge” the contempt by undertaking “such measures as found fit.”The contempt proceedings stem from a plea filed by Syeed Asima Ali, who alleged that she was denied access to executive board meetings despite clear judicial directions.No apology, no complianceThe court observed that Hockey India officials were mandated to provide Ali with the requisite links to attend all executive board meetings. However, they failed to do so for meetings held on July 4 and July 27, 2025.Rejecting any justification based on subsequent developments, the court noted that no attempt was made to seek modification of its earlier order. “No endeavour has ever been made to purge the contempt. The minutes of the meeting, links for which were not provided to the petitioner, still stares at the face of the Court’s subsisting directions,” the judgment stated.It further criticised the conduct of the respondents, pointing out that there was “not even a whisper of an apology, let alone an unconditional apology.” In a strong remark, the court said even an unconditional apology “cannot purify” the respondents of their “conscious, concerted, deliberate and willful disobedience.”Terming the conduct particularly serious, the bench said non-compliance by a National Sports Federation—functioning under state aegis and receiving public funds—was “no less than an administrative sin.”The January 17, 2025 order was passed on Ali’s petition seeking Singh’s removal, citing alleged ineligibility under tenure and age restrictions outlined in the Sports Code. As an interim measure, the court had directed that she be allowed to participate in all executive board meetings — an order that has now been found to have been wilfully ignored.
