Delhi High Court Issues Notice to Bihar Olympic Association on IOA's Appeal
New Delhi, April 4 — The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has approached the Delhi High Court, contesting a recent ruling that quashed its decision to establish an ad-hoc committee to oversee the Bihar Olympic Association’s operations.A division bench comprising Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela on Friday issued a notice to the Bihar Olympic Association in response to IOA’s appeal. The appeal challenges a single-judge order that had invalidated the formation of the ad-hoc panel.
The High Court observed that the single-judge decision was based on the grounds that the Bihar Olympic Association was neither provided with the relevant documents nor given an opportunity to be heard before the management was handed over to the ad-hoc body.
IOA’s counsel argued for additional time to seek instructions on whether the organization could restart the entire process, beginning with the constitution of a new one-member fact-finding committee.
The court also directed advocate Neha Singh, appearing for the Bihar Olympic Association, to obtain instructions on the proposal for starting the process afresh.
Background of the Dispute
The dispute dates back to February 24, when a single judge annulled the IOA’s decision to form an ad-hoc committee, and instead directed the Bihar Olympic Association to conduct fresh elections within three months.The state association had contested the IOA's move, terming the appointment of a single-member fact-finding committee in November 2024 as arbitrary. The subsequent January 1, 2025 order by the IOA president forming the ad-hoc panel was deemed unilateral and unsustainable by the state body.
According to the petitioner, the Bihar Olympic Association was never informed about any complaints or allowed to respond, thereby violating principles of natural justice.
The Delhi High Court is expected to hear the IOA’s appeal in May.