Supreme Court Quashes Forgery FIR Against Badminton Star Lakshya Sen
The Supreme Court has quashed an FIR filed against badminton player Lakshya Sen, his family, and his coach over allegations of age fraud. A bench of Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Aravind Kumar stated that the continuation of criminal proceedings was "unwarranted and amounts to abuse of the process of court." The case originated from a private complaint in Karnataka that alleged Sen's birth certificate was forged. The high court had previously allowed an investigation, but the Supreme Court's order now clears the athlete.
Unpacked:
The complaint alleged that Lakshya Sen, his brother, their parents, and their coach had forged birth certificates to claim a younger age, potentially to gain eligibility or advantage in age-restricted badminton competitions. The complaint was made by M.G. Nagaraj, and it also implicated an official from the Karnataka Badminton Association.
The Supreme Court found that there was no justification for continuing the criminal proceedings and called it an “abuse of the process of court.” The bench concluded that the material presented did not merit further judicial scrutiny or investigation, effectively ending the legal case against Lakshya Sen and others.
The Karnataka High Court had earlier dismissed the plea by Lakshya Sen and his family to quash the FIR, finding prima facie grounds for an investigation. This allowed the investigation to proceed until the Supreme Court later intervened and quashed the case.
The Supreme Court’s decision removes legal obstacles for Lakshya Sen, allowing him to continue his career without the shadow of criminal proceedings. It also helps restore his reputation, as the highest court found the allegations unsubstantiated, providing significant relief to one of India’s top badminton players.