HC asks AFI to observe Centre`s guidelines during its election

The Athletic Federation of India has been asked by the Delhi High Court to duly observe the sports ministry`s recent model poll guidelines in its upcoming election for its office bearers.

New Delhi: The Athletic Federation of India (AFI) was on Wednesday asked by the Delhi High Court to duly observe the sports ministry`s recent model poll guidelines in its upcoming election for its office bearers.

"Let the election be held by observing the guidelines," a bench of Acting Chief Justice A K Sikri and Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw said and fixed the case for hearing on April 25. The court`s observation came on an application filed by advocate Rahul Mehra seeking to restrain AFI from holding its fresh elections of its office bearers of its Executive Council and Committees during the proposed Annual General Meeting on April 14-15 here at Gurgaon. Mehra, in his plea, alleged the sports body has been violating various provisions of the Government Sports Code, specially the model election guidelines. The AFI has not declared its "clean electoral college" and also not published the same on its website as mandated under the election bye-laws, he said. The sports body has also failed to nominate an independent returning officer for conduct of elections of office bearers, the application said adding that it has also not intimated the government in advance about its general body meeting. Even a government observer has not been appointed till date, he said. The sports body has also failed to comply with the age and tenure restrictions of its office bearers as mandated by the model election guidelines. PTI