The Delhi High Court on Wednesday issued a stay on a Boxing Federation of India (BFI) circular that restricted non-elected members from participating in its upcoming elections. Justice Mini Pushkarna granted the stay while hearing a petition from the Delhi Amateur Boxing Association, which challenged the BFI’s March 7 directive.
The contentious circular mandated that only elected members from BFI’s affiliated state units could represent their states in the federation’s elections. This decision had significant implications, including the exclusion of BJP MP Anurag Thakur from the electoral process, as his nomination was deemed ineligible under the new rules. Additionally, two nominees from the Delhi Amateur Boxing Association—Rohit Jainendra Jain and Neeraj Kant Bhatt—were also left off the final electoral list approved by the returning officer.
In her ruling, Justice Pushkarna specified that while the election process and the announcement of results could continue, they would be subject to the outcome of the ongoing legal challenge. This means that any election outcomes could potentially be reversed or altered depending on the final court decision.
The court has issued notices to the Centre and the Boxing Federation of India, giving them four weeks to respond to the allegations made in the petition. The matter has been deferred for a hearing in August.
