Disposed¶70

Harjinder Singh Sokhi v. Union of India & Ors.

Delhi HC12 Nov 2025W.P.(C)/3526/2024

Case brief

AI extract

What is this about?

AKFI elections; Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India; Electoral College/Electoral Roll validity; Supreme Court Writ Petition (Civil) No. 93/2025 Priyanka & Anr. v Union of India; orders dated 04.02.2025 and 06.02.2025; Justice (Retd.) S.P. Garg Administrator; Governing Body elected 24.12.2023; Senior Asian Kabaddi Championship 2025 (Women) Iran; CBI/INTERPOL investigation into sports federation; diplomatic channels recognition of sports associations; writ petitions disposed with liberty to revive; Delhi High Court; Mini Pushkarna, J.; 12.11.2025.

What did the court decide?

All writ petitions, along with pending applications, disposed of, with liberty to the petitioners to approach the Court and revive the writ petitions in case any other issue survives after the decision by the Supreme Court. ¶70

Harjinder Singh Sokhi Vs Union of India & Ors. — Delhi HC (2025) — LawSathi Research

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

¶70

Issue for consideration

Various issues raised with respect to the elections to the Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India (AKFI), the Electoral College/Roll constituted for the said elections, and other concerns related thereto. +1 more

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Ratio / Principle

Perusal of the Supreme Court's orders dated 04.02.2025 and 06.02.2025 clearly shows that the Supreme Court has taken cognizance of the issues with regard to the elections to the AKFI and various orders have been passed in that regard.

¶64

Key takeaways

The issues which are the subject matter of the present writ petitions regarding elections to the AKFI are already pending before the Supreme Court.ratio¶68
In view of the pendency of the same issues before the Supreme Court, no useful purpose would be served by keeping the present writ petitions pending.ratio¶69
If any other issue survives after the decision by the Supreme Court, the petitioners are at liberty to approach this Court and revive the present writ petitions.

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

Delhi High Court (Mini Pushkarna, J., oral) disposed of six writ petitions — W.P.(C) 5803/2023, 5980/2023, 7303/2023, 4870/2024, 5630/2024 and 3526/2024 — with their allied CM applications, which had raised issues concerning the elections to the Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India (AKFI) and the Electoral College/Roll constituted for those elections. The Court noted Supreme Court orders dated 04.02.2025 and 06.02.2025 in Writ Petition (Civil) No. 93/2025 (‘Priyanka & Anr. Versus Union of India & Ors.’), whereby the Supreme Court took cognizance of the AKFI election issues, directed exploration of diplomatic channels regarding recognition of sports associations, a CBI-suggested domestic and international investigation mechanism with INTERPOL assistance, facilitation of players’ participation in the Senior Asian Kabaddi Championship 2025 (Women) at Iran, and verification of the validity and transparency of the AKFI Electoral Roll; and further requested Justice (Retd.) S.P. Garg, Administrator of AKFI, to hand over charge of the Federation to the Governing Body formed through the election held on 24.12.2023 on or before 11.02.2025, while clarifying that such entrustment did not amount to recognition of the elected body. Holding that the issues forming the subject matter of the writ petitions were already pending before the Supreme Court, and that no useful purpose would be served by keeping them pending, the Court disposed of the writ petitions with the pending applications, granting petitioners liberty to revive them if any other issue survived the Supreme Court’s decision.

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$~39 to 44

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IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI

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% Date of Decision: 12.11.2025

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- W.P.(C) 5803/2023, CM APPL. 22727/2023, CM APPL. 46380/2023, CM APPL. 59612/2023, CM APPL. 4036/2024, CM APPL. 7562/2024, CM APPL. 7564/2024, CM APPL. 7566/2024, CM APPL. 26898/2024, CM APPL. 28761/2024, CM APPL. 42547/2024, CM APPL. 42635/2024 & CM APPL. 6660/2025

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MANOJAN RAJAN AND ORS. .....Petitioners Through: Mr. Vishwendra Verma, Ms. Shivali and Ms. Ekta Tomar, Advocates versus

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AMATEUR KABADDI FEDERATION OF INDIA (AKFI) AND ORS. .....Respondents Through: Ms. Ayushi Reddy, Mr. Deepak K. Singh, Dr. Shilpa Rao, Mr. Kanhaiya Kumar, Mr. Sunny Kumar and Mr. Sunny Kumar Gupta, Advs. Mr. Anjuman Tripathy and Mr. Ardhendv Pratap Swain, Advs. for R- AKFI Mob: 9818408960 Email: [email protected] Mr. Varun Pratap Singh, Mr. Dev Pratap Shahi and Mr. Yogya Bhatia, Advs. for R-2 Mob: 8587967565 Email: [email protected]

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W.P.(C) 5980/2023 & CM APPL. 23489/2023

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Signature Not Verified Digitally Signed By:HARIOM SHARMA Signing Da te:1 3.11.2025 20:44:33

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Page 1 of 7

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SHANKER LAL YADAV .....Petitioner Through: None. versus

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AMATEUR KABADDI FEDERATION OF INDIA AND ORS. .....Respondents Through: Mr. Anjuman Tripathy and Mr. Ardhendv Pratap Swain, Advs. for R- AKFI Mob: 9818408960 Email: [email protected] Mr. Varun Pratap Singh, Mr. Dev Pratap Shahi and Mr. Yogya Bhatia, Advs. for R-2 Mob: 8587967565 Email: [email protected] Mr. Aditya P. Khanna and Ms. Arushi Jindal, Advs. for R-5 Mob: 9717123269 Email: [email protected]

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41 + W.P.(C) 7303/2023, CM APPL. 28386/2023 & CM APPL. 57529/2024 DELHI STATE KABADDI ASSOCIATION @ DSKA 1 .....Petitioner Through: None.

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versus AMATEUR KABADDI FEDERATION OF INDIA & ORS. .....Respondents Through: Mr. Anjuman Tripathy and Mr.

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AMATEUR KABADDI FEDERATION OF INDIA & ORS.

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Signature Not Verified Digitally Signed By:HARIOM SHARMA Signing Da te:1 3.11.2025 20:44:33

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Page 2 of 7

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Ardhendv Pratap Swain, Advs. for R- AKFI Mob: 9818408960 Email: [email protected] Mr. Varun Pratap Singh, Mr. Dev Pratap Shahi and Mr. Yogya Bhatia, Advs. for R-2 Mob: 8587967565

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Email: [email protected] Mr. Anuj Tyagi and Ms. Shreelekha Vyas, Advocates for R-3

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W.P.(C) 4870/2024, CM APPL. 19899/2024 SHRIRAM RAJU DINANATH BHAVSAR AND ANR.

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.....Petitioner Through: None.

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versus AMETEUR KABADDI FEDERATION OF INDIA AKFI AND ANR. .....Respondents Through: Mr. Anjuman Tripathy and Mr. Ardhendv Pratap Swain, Advs. for R- AKFI Mob: 9818408960 Email: [email protected] Ms. Radhika Bishwajit Dubey (CGSC), Ms. Gurleen Kaur Waraich, Mr. Kritarth Upadhyay, Mr. Aprajita Verma, Mr. Saksham Sharma, Mr. Mathy V Kutty, Advocates for Respondents/UOI

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¶25

W.P.(C) 5630/2024

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Signature Not Verified Digitally Signed By:HARIOM SHARMA Signing Da te:1 3.11.2025 20:44:33

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Page 3 of 7

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NAMDEV BABAN SAKPAL & ORS. .....Petitioners Through: None. versus

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AMATEUR KABADDI FEDERATION OF INDIA & ORS.

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.....Respondents Through: Mr. Anjuman Tripathy and Mr. Ardhendv Pratap Swain, Advs. for R- AKFI Mob: 9818408960 Email: [email protected] Mr. Rana Sandeep Bussa, Advocate and Ms. Divya Tomar, Advocate for R-3 and R-5

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- W.P.(C) 3526/2024

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HARJINDER SINGH SOKHI .....Petitioner Through: None. versus UNION OF INDIA & ORS. .....Respondents Through: Mr. Vedansh Anand, GP for UOI Email: [email protected] Mob: 9076802450

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CORAM:

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HON'BLE MS. JUSTICE MINI PUSHKARNA

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MINI PUSHKARNA, J. (ORAL):

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The present petitions have been filed raising various issues with respect to the elections to the Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India (“AKFI”), the Electoral College/Roll constituted for the said elections, and

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Signature Not Verified

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Page 4 of 7

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Digitally Signed By:HARIOM SHARMA Signing Da te:1 3.11.2025 20:44:33

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other concerns related thereto.

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Attention of this Court has been drawn to the order dated 04^th February, 2025, passed by the Supreme Court in Writ Petition (Civil) No. 93/2025 , titled as “ Priyanka & Anr. Versus Union of India & Ors.” , wherein, directions have been passed by the Supreme Court in the following manner:

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“1. We have heard learned senior counsel for the petitioners, intervenors and the Administrator of the Kabaddi Federation. We have also heard Shri Tushar Mehta, learned Solicitor General of India.

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2. Taking into consideration the oral submissions made on behalf of the intervenors and the learned Administrator, and also having taken cognizance of the offensive language used by the purported and so-called President of the Asian Federation, it seems to us that some strong measures are required to be taken in order to infuse purity, fairness, autonomy and independence in the election process, particularly to oust such persons who have monopolized the sports federation for their vested interest. In this regard, we have impressed upon Shri Tushar Mehta, learned Solicitor General of India to have immediate instructions re:

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(i) To explore the diplomatic channels for resolution of the conflict re: recognition of Sports Associations, most urgently the Kabaddi Federation of India.

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(ii) The Director, CBI would suggest an investigation mechanism for effective domestic and international probe, with the assistance of International Investigating Agencies such as the INTERPOL, into the affairs of the Sports Federation.

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(iii) To ensure that the Kabaddi players and other sports persons are allowed to participate in international competitions, including the ensuing Asian Kabaddi Championship at Iran.

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(iv) To find out whether the Electoral Roll of the Kabaddi Federation of India is valid and transparent, and the State Units are represented by genuinely elected/nominated persons, who can be permitted to participate in the election of Governing body of the National Federation .

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3. List on 06.02.2025.”

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(Emphasis Supplied)

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Signature Not Verified Digitally Signed By:HARIOM SHARMA Signing Da te:1 3.11.2025 20:44:33

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Page 5 of 7

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Subsequently, vide order dated 06^th February, 2025, the Supreme Court has passed the following directions:

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“1. Heard learned senior counsel for the parties for some time.

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2. Owing to the urgency regarding participation of Indian players in the Senior Asian Kabaddi Championship 2025 (Women), scheduled to be held in Iran from 20.02.2025 to 25.02.2025, we request Justice (Retd.) S.P. Garg, who was appointed as the Administrator of the Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India (in short, the “AKFI”), to handover the charge of the Federation to the Governing Body, which is said to have been formed through the election held on 24.12.2023. The needful be done on or before 11.02.2025 .

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3. We acknowledge the commendable work done by Justice (Retd.) S.P. Garg in restoring transparency and functional autonomy to AKFI as well as bringing many desired reforms in the Association.

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4. It is clarified that the entrustment of charge to the elected body does not mean that this Court has recognised the elected body of the AKFI. Similarly, the issues raised in our order dated 04.02.2025 will have to be taken to a logical conclusion in due course of time .

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5. The newly elected Governing Body shall remain present in Court through its counsel on the next date of hearing. A status report on the participation of players in the above-mentioned Championship shall also be submitted .

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6. On entrustment of charge to the elected body, the International Kabaddi Federation shall abide by the assurance/undertaking given by it in its letter dated 06.02.2025 .

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7. The Governing Body of the AKFI shall take all necessary steps for selecting the team for participation in the above-mentioned Championship .

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8. The Government of India, through Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, will also ensure that the Indian team(s) are allowed to participate in the aforesaid Championship .

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9. Post the matter on 03.03.2025.”

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(Emphasis Supplied)

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Perusal of the aforesaid orders, clearly show that the Supreme Court has taken cognizance of the issues with regard to the elections to the AKFI and various orders have been passed with regard thereto.

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Accordingly, the issues, which are subject matter of the present writ

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Signature Not Verified Digitally Signed By:HARIOM SHARMA Signing Da te:1 3.11.2025 20:44:33

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Page 6 of 7

¶68

petitions regarding elections to the AKFI, are already pending before the Supreme Court.

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In view of the aforesaid, no useful purpose would be served by keeping the present writ petitions pending. However, in case any other issue survives after the decision by the Supreme Court, the petitioners are at liberty to approach this Court and revive the present writ petitions.

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Accordingly, noting the aforesaid, the present writ petitions, along with the pending applications, are disposed of.

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MINI PUSHKARNA, J

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NOVEMBER 12, 2025 ak

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Signature Not Verified

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Page 7 of 7

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Digitally Signed By:HARIOM SHARMA Signing Da te:1 3.11.2025 20:44:33

Harjinder Singh Sokhi v. Union of India & Ors.

Case brief

What is this about?

What did the court decide?

Harjinder Singh Sokhi v. Union of India & Ors.

Case brief

What is this about?

What did the court decide?

Why is it important?

What the court decided

Issues for consideration

Cases cited

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Parties & counsel

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