PUNE: The election for the Rowing Federation of India (RFI)'s general body was conducted in Hyderabad on Sunday after the Delhi High Court refused to intervene in the process while hearing a PIL from the Delhi Rowing Association (DRA).
However, the votes were not counted and the results not declared "till further orders of the court"
Hearing the PIL on Friday, the Acting Chief Justice (ACJ) of the Delhi HC, Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora, also permitted the current dispensation to continue to manage the RFI's affairs until the next hearing on July 25.
"Pleased that the court allowed the election to go ahead as scheduled and (it) will be my duty to complete all tasks given to me by court for further compliance," RFI president Rajlaxmi Singh Deo said.
The DRA had originally filed a writ petition alleging non-compliance of the National Sports Code 2011 (NSC) by the RFI and its member units, and therefore demanding a stay on the elections and the appointment of an ad hoc panel by the government to manage the RFI's affairs.
That writ was rejected on Thursday by a bench of the court but allowed it to be converted into a PIL to be heard by the ACJ.
The DRA, which argued its case through prominent lawyer Rahul Mehra, cited non-compliance with regard to preparation of electoral college, 70-year age limit and tenure limits for the office-bearers, no provision for voting rights for athlete commission in RFI general body and a few other requirements as mandated in the NSC.
During the hearing, Mehra had presented a nine-week timeline and a roadmap for the RFI and its units to carry out the necessary changes and become compliant with the NSC.
The ACJ noted that the RFI's counsel, "on instructions" from its president and secretary NV Sriram, assured that the federation would adopt the roadmap and carry out the compliance on its own within 12 weeks.
"The statement/assurances/undertakings given by RFI are accepted and the RFI is held bound by the same," the ACJ wrote in her order, a copy of which has been seen by Times of India.
"As the Olympics is around the corner, this Court permits the existing management of RFI to continue till further orders."
