Sports ministry moves High Court for Mander’s removal

NEW DELHI: The Sports Ministry appealed to the Delhi High Court to replace GS Mander with retired judge CK Mahajan as Returning Officer for next month’s Hockey India elections and claimed it has the support of the International Hockey Federation (FIH).

Sources in the ministry said that an urgent application has been filed before the Chief Justice of Delhi High Court, who is hearing a PIL petition on the accountability of National Sports Federations and HI elections.

“The Ministry has requested to the honorable High Court that CK Mahajan, retired judge of the Delhi High Court, be appointed as the Returning Officer for the February 7 elections,” the source said.

“It has also been suggested that if the honourable court so wishes, they may appoint another sitting or retired judge of the Delhi High Court to conduct the elections to ensure a fair and transparent process,” he said.

Incidentally, even though FIH vice president Antonio von Ondarza had earlier told the ministry that the international body endorsed Mander’s appointment, the source said FIH has changed its stance.

“FIH president Leandro Negre and Ondarza, who is also the FIH election observer, have spoken to the senior Ministry officials on Thursday and expressed their full agreement to the Ministry direction on the HI elections,” he said.

“They indicated that earlier they had not been fully and properly briefed of the true situation,” the source said.

The Ministry on Wednesday rejected the appointment of Mander, who heads the Wrestling Federation of India and is also a senior vice president of the Indian Olympic Association, saying no one from HI or IOA should be part of the electoral process.