HC stays FIR against badminton player Lakshya Sen and his coach

Bengaluru

The High Court of Karnataka on Thursday stayed criminal proceeding badminton star and Arjuna award-winner Lakshya Sen and his coach U. Vimal Kumar on the allegation of age fabrication.

A vacation bench of Justice S. Rachaiah passed the interim order on the petition filed by the player and his coach questioning legality of initiation of criminal proceedings against them.

The High Grounds police on December 1 had registered the First Information Report acting on a direction issued by a magistrate court, which had ordered for investigation of the allegation made in the complaint lodged by one Nagaraja M.G.

It has been alleged in the complaint that Dhirendra K Sen, who was a coach with Sports Authority of India (SAI) and his wife Nirmala Sen had fabricated the birth certificates of their sons, Lakshya Sen and Chirag Sen, who is also a badminton player, in connivance with Mr. Kumar, who was Mr. Lakshya’s coach at the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy and a Dronacharya awardee. All four Sens and Mr. Kumar have been named as accused persons in the FIR.

It has been alleged in the complaint that the ages of Sen brothers fabricated by the parents and Mr. Kumar to enable the brothers to play in the junior age categories since 2010.

However, the petitioners have claimed that false and baseless allegations made to humiliate them as Mr. Nagaraja’s daughter was found not meeting the criteria to join Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy in 2020.

It was also pointed out in the petition that the issue of age fabrication was closed as the Central Vigilance Commission in 2018 had accepted the birth records submitted Dhirendra Sen and concluded that no action is required against him. The petitioners have alleged that Mr. Nagaraja had not disclosed this aspect in his complaint.