In an important decision on December 3, 2025, the Delhi High Court rejected the appeal by S.P. Singh Dhillon against the Delhi Capital Badminton Association (DCBA) and others, pointing out several management issues and failure to follow the National Sports Code.
The case is about arguments within the DCBA, mainly between two groups led by S.P. Singh Dhillon and Prof. A.K. Mittra. The main issue was about disagreements over elections, management, and recognition of local units. The association, originally created to promote badminton in Delhi, was involved in a legal fight over its management and election methods.
Initial Decisions: A series of decisions from January to September 2021 aimed to ensure fair elections within the DCBA. Justice Anil Kshetarpal and Justice Harish Vaidyanathan Shankar were in charge of the case.
Election Arguments: The court appointed Justice (Retd.) Brijesh Sethi to oversee elections. However, problems came up about the number of positions and whether local units could take part.
Administrator's Report: Justice (Retd.) Pankaj Naqvi was later appointed to check if the Sports Code and management rules were being followed. His report showed major problems and failures to follow rules in local associations.
Problems and Rule-breaking: The Administrator's report found that none of the local associations followed the Sports Code or the rules set in the Rahul Mehra case. Financial records were incomplete, and there was no transparency in the election processes.
Invalid Elections: Elections held in 2017 and 2023 were considered invalid due to rule-breaking. The report stressed the lack of proper voting lists and independent supervision.
Need for Change: The court decided that without changing and re-connecting the association, no fair elections could be held. The DCBA's management setup did not meet legal standards.
The court rejected the appeal and ordered that the DCBA must be restructured according to the law. The Administrator was given the job of making sure rules are followed, finalizing the list of voters, and holding elections within four months.
The court's decision requires the DCBA to fix its management and election processes to ensure fair and legal operations. The Administrator has been tasked with overseeing these changes and conducting new elections.
