Karnataka High Court refuses to quash case against Lakshya Sen, his family and coach over forging of birth certificate

Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court has dismissed the petitions filed by ace shuttler Lakshya Sen, his family members and also his coach U Vimal Kumar in a crime pertaining to fabrication of birth certificates.

Justice MG Uma refused to quash proceedings observing that there are prima facie materials on record filed by the complainant.

One MG Nagaraj had filed a private complaint before the court alleging that Dhirendra Sen, Nirmala Sen, parents of Chirag Sen and Lakshya Sen, along with coach U Vimal Kumar and an employee of Karnataka Badminton Association had colluded in the crime.

The allegation was that the accused persons had managed to fabricate the birth certificates of Chirag Sen and Lakshya Sen showing their age less by about two and a half years, to enable them to take part in badminton tournaments as well as to claim the benefits from the government.

The complainant had produced certain documents under the Right to Information (RTI) Act and requested the court to summon the original records from the Sports Authority of India, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, New Delhi.

On verification of the documents, the court had directed the High Grounds police station to investigate the case. The police had registered the FIR under IPC sections 420, 468 and 471. The petitioners had moved the high court in 2022 and the investigation could not be completed in view of the interim order granted by the high court in 2022.

The petitioners claimed that the complaint and the FIR filed are wholly baseless, bald and abuse of process of law intended to harass them.

According to the petitioners, the complainant’s daughter wished to join Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy in 2020.

However, she was found not suited after the evaluation process and the petitioners claimed that the complaint was by the disgruntled father against Vimal Kumar, a coach at the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy.

Justice Uma observed that the counsel for the petitioners did not address the arguments in spite of giving sufficient opportunity. The court rejected the prayer by the counsel for the petitioners for grant of more time.

“When prima facie materials are placed on record, which constitute the offences, I do not find any reason either to stall the investigation or to quash the initiation of criminal proceedings.

There are sufficient materials that are placed before the Court by the complainant which are the documents that are obtained under the Right to Information Act from the appropriate authority. Under such circumstances, I do not find any reason to entertain the petitions,” the court said.