New Delhi: On Tuesday, the Supreme Court issued a stay on the criminal proceedings against Indian badminton player Lakshya Sen, his brother Chirag, their parents, and their coach. This case involves allegations that the prominent athlete falsified his birth certificate to compete in junior badminton tournaments.

A bench led by Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia delivered the ruling while directing the state of Karnataka and the complainant, MG Nagaraja, to respond to the petition by April 16, which is the date set for the next hearing.

Lakshya, currently ranked sixth in the world, along with Chirag, who is also a badminton player, faces accusations of altering their birth certificates to reflect an age reduction of approximately two-and-a-half years. Their parents and their coach, an employee of the Karnataka Badminton Association, are similarly accused of manipulating the birth records.

The bench, which included Justice K Vinod Chandran, stated, “Until further orders, all proceedings related to FIR/Crime No.194/2022, registered on December 1, 2022, by the High Grounds Police Station in Bengaluru, Karnataka, shall be stayed.”

This decision provides significant relief to Sen and his family, particularly after the Karnataka High Court declined to halt the investigations against them on February 19. The ruling from a single judge bench, presided over by Justice MG Uma, indicated, “When prima facie evidence is presented that constitutes the offences, I see no reason to suspend the investigation or to dismiss the initiation of criminal proceedings.”

The High Court determined that there was adequate evidence to continue the investigation, as the complainant had obtained relevant information from the appropriate authority under the Right to Information Act. “In such circumstances, I find no grounds to entertain the petitions,” the High Court concluded.

The complaint filed by Nagaraja alleged that the parents of Lakshya Sen and Chirag, in collusion with their coach, fabricated the birth certificates to enable participation in tournaments and to claim government benefits.

A departmental inquiry was conducted concerning Lakshya’s father, Dhirendra Sen, who serves as a badminton coach at the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy. The inquiry officer determined that he was guilty, and the disciplinary authority upheld the punishment.

Following his complaint, the trial court directed the police to investigate the matter. As a result, the police initiated a case under various sections related to cheating and forgery, specifically sections 420, 468, and 471 in conjunction with section 34 of the Indian Penal Code.

Lakshya has experienced a remarkable ascent in badminton since he secured the title of junior champion at the Asian Championship in 2018. He achieved a bronze medal at the BWF World Championship in 2021 and continued to excel in 2022, winning a gold medal at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games and a silver at the All England Open. He narrowly missed out on a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics last year, losing in the playoff for third place.

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