The Karnataka High Court has dismissed petitions by badminton player Lakshya Sen, his family, and coach U Vimal Kumar regarding allegations of birth certificate forgery. The court found prima facie evidence supporting an investigation into claims made by MG Nagaraj, who accused the Sen family of manipulating birth records to lower their ages for tournament eligibility. The complaint was backed by documents obtained through the Right to Information Act. As a result, police registered an FIR for cheating and forgery. The court ruled that no reason existed to halt the investigation, emphasizing the sufficiency of the presented evidence.
The Karnataka High Court has dismissed the petitions brought forth by renowned badminton player Lakshya Sen, his family members, and his coach U Vimal Kumar regarding allegations of birth certificate forgery. The court determined that there was sufficient prima facie evidence to justify an investigation into the matter. This case stemmed from a private complaint lodged by MG Nagaraj, who accused Lakshya Sen’s parents, Dhirendra and Nirmala Sen, along with his brother Chirag Sen, coach U Vimal Kumar, and an employee of the Karnataka Badminton Association, of manipulating birth records.
The complaint claimed that the defendants allegedly altered the birth certificates of Lakshya and Chirag Sen, effectively reducing their ages by about two and a half years. This alleged forgery was purportedly aimed at enabling them to compete in age-restricted badminton tournaments while also benefiting from government support.
Nagaraj substantiated his allegations with documents acquired through the Right to Information (RTI) Act and asked the court to obtain original records from the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports in New Delhi. In light of this evidence, the court instructed the High Grounds police station to initiate an investigation.
In accordance with the court’s order, the police filed a First Information Report (FIR) under IPC Sections 420 (cheating), 468 (forgery), and 471 (using forged documents as genuine). Nonetheless, the petitioners approached the Karnataka High Court in 2022, securing a temporary order that halted the investigation.
The petitioners contended that the complaint and ensuing FIR were unfounded, prejudiced, and aimed at subjecting them to harassment. They claimed that Nagaraj was motivated by personal animosity, alleging that his daughter had applied to join the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy in 2020 but was not selected after the evaluation process. Vimal Kumar, the academy’s coach, was included in the complaint.
Justice M G Uma, in dismissing the petitions, noted that the petitioners’ counsel did not present any arguments despite being granted ample opportunities. The judge also declined a request for an extension of time.
“When prima facie materials are presented that constitute the offenses, I see no reason to impede the investigation or dismiss the criminal proceedings,” Justice Uma remarked. The court recognized that the complainant had provided ample documentary evidence obtained via RTI, reinforcing the necessity for an investigation.
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