Mumbai Hockey Association serves contempt notice on Hockey India

Mumbai: The Mumbai Hockey Association (MHA) has served a legal notice on five officials of Hockey India (HI), including president Vidya Stokes and secretary Narendra Batra, for contempt of Bombay high court’s order on granting affiliation.

The notice sent on May 6 by advocate Vijendra S Jabra, a copy of which is with PTI, has charged Stokes, Batra and HI members Rajeev Mehta, Harish Sharma and Mohd Mustaq Ahmed, of violating the Bombay high court order dated October 28.

As per the court order, in response to a writ petition filed by MHA, the application for affiliation by MHA was to have been considered within six weeks by Hockey India.

“My clients state that Hockey India and you No. 1 to 5 office bearers of Hockey India have wilfully and deliberately violated the said order dated 28.01.2010 passed by the hon’ble high court Bombay. My clients state that Hockey India and you committed contempt of court by wilfully violating the said order and not complying the said order,” the notice said.

“That my clients state that my clients have come to know that a fresh process has been initiated by you no. 1 to 5 beyond the period of six months with the ulterior motive after flouting the order and thereafter a meeting was fixed on 20th April, 2010 at Lalit International Mumbai for the purpose of granting affiliation,” it stated. The notice charged that instead of considering MHA’s affiliation as per the court order, Hockey India formed a new body to represent Maharashtra with the help of its expelled former secretary Kehar Singh.

“My clients state that an email was addressed to my clients on the 3rd of May, 2010 by you which clearly shows that you No. 1 to 5 instead of considering the affiliation of my clients you have formed a new body to represent the state of Maharashtra with aid of one Kehar Singh who has been expelled by my clients from Mumbai Hockey Association”.

The notice also pointed out that a criminal case has also been filed by MHA against Kehar Singh before the metropolitan magistrate’s court at Mumbai.

“From the statement made before the court at Mumbai and your act of making a new body without the consent and inviolation of the statement made before the hon’ble high court at Mumbai, it is clear you are bent upon to circumvent the orders of the hon’ble high court with the ulterior motive and to deprive my clients in one way of the other,” it said.

“To say the least your action is clearly against the directions given by the hon’ble high court Mumbai and amounts to wilful and deliberate disobedience of the aforesaid directions,” it added.