The Supreme Court on Monday quashed the First Information Report (FIR) filed against ace badminton player Lakshya Sen, his family members, and his coach in a birth certificate forgery case, terming the criminal proceedings as an “abuse of the process of court.”
A bench comprising Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Aravind Kumar held that there was no justification for continuing the criminal proceedings and set aside the FIR, providing significant relief to the young shuttler.
The apex court was hearing a special leave petition challenging a February 19 order of the Karnataka High Court, which had dismissed the plea by Sen, his parents Dhirendra and Nirmala Sen, his brother Chirag Sen, and coach U Vimal Kumar, seeking quashing of the FIR. The high court had observed that there was prima facie material to warrant an investigation.
The case was initiated on the basis of a private complaint filed by one M G Nagaraj, who alleged that the birth certificates of Lakshya Sen and Chirag Sen were forged to gain age-related advantages in the sport. The complaint accused the Sen family, their coach, and an official from the Karnataka Badminton Association of falsifying birth records.
Earlier, the Supreme Court had issued notices to the Karnataka government and the complainant, seeking their response.
With Monday’s order, the top court has effectively brought an end to the criminal proceedings against the athlete and those associated with him, concluding that the case did not merit further judicial scrutiny.
Lakshya Sen, a former world junior number one, has been one of India’s most promising badminton players in recent years, with multiple international titles to his name.
