Karnataka HC stays AITA ban on Mahesh Bhupathi, Rohan Bopanna

Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna earned a stay order from Karnataka High Court against the two year ban imposed on them by the All India Tennis Association (AITA).

Bangalore: The Karnataka High Court on Saturday stayed the two-year AITA ban on tennis players Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna from representing the country till June 30, 2014 on disciplinary grounds.

Hearing a writ petition filed by the duo challenging the two-year ban imposed by All India Tennis Association, Justice Mohan Shantanagoudar ordered issue of emergent notice to AITA and the Sports Ministry. The judge also stayed the impugned decision of the AITA. Counsel Aditya Sondhi, representing the two players, submitted that the AITA decision was "arbitrary as it was taken without hearing them". Bhupathi had recently threatened to drag AITA to the court for ousting him from India's Davis Cup squad along with Rohan Bopanna, saying he was exploring if the national tennis federation's move was legal. AITA had taken the decision hours after India's young Davis Cup team took an unassailable 3-0 lead against New Zealand in Chandigarh on September 15. Meanwhile, when asked about the decision of the High Court, Bhupathi's father Krishna Bhupathi refused to react, saying "I will not comment as the matter is sub-judice". Sondhi told reporters that Bhupathi and Bopanna challenged the AITA decision on the ground they were not even served a notice before slapping the ban. Both players in their petition submitted that AITA did not hear their views and also failed to convey its order of ban. The players contended that they came to know about the decision through media. PTI