SC appoints ex-SC judge to conduct IOA elections

The Supreme Court on Thursday appointed former top court judge Justice L Nageswara Rao to lead the election process in Indian Olympic Association and ensure a fair and development-oriented approach to amend its constitution.

A bench of Justices D Y Chandrachud and Hima Kohli said Justice Rao would take up the assignment, including preparing electoral rolls and conducting elections in the sports body.

Having noted that national games are being conducted after a gap of seven years, the bench said Justice Rao would lead the election process so that it is completed by December 15, 2022.

The court also asked him to prepare a road map for amending the Constitution.

In the meantime, the bench allowed the current secretary general of IOA Rajeev Mehta and Adille Sumariwalla, vice president of IOA, to participate in the meeting with the International Olympic Committee scheduled on September 27.

Among other directions, the court said all logistical arrangements will be made available to Justice Rao by the joint secretary, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. It directed the IOA to make reimbursement of all expenses.

On September 19, the court indicated it would appoint an independent person to run the IOA administration and also directed the sports ministry to interact with the International Olympic Committee.

The court had then stayed the Delhi High Court August 16 order, directing the Committee of Administrators to take control of the IOA governance. The sports ministry had submitted before the court that it could lead to suspension due to third party interference.

On September 8, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) issued a final warning to IOA to sort out the governance issues and hold elections by December.

Acting on a plea by IOA, the top court had on August 18 directed the parties to maintain status quo in view of the fact that that charge of the Indian Olympics Association has not been handed over to the Committee of Administrators so far and the possibility that Indian athletes might lose the chance of participating in international events as well as Olympic.