Govt may move SC for hearing all match-fixing cases

During arguments he told a division bench comprising acting Chief Justice Devinder Gupta and Justice A K Sikri that a "floodgate" of such petitions had been opened.

Several petitions were being filed on the same subject in different High Courts. "This will confuse the entire issue," he submitted before the court which declined to issue any direction on the PIL filed by Health Fitness Trust (HFT).

Adjourning the hearing on the PIL to May 4, the court said the petitioner had jumbled many issues together in the plea and directed HFT to separate every issue and specify clearly the remedy sought.

The ASG said the present petition was not clear about the relief sought as several issues like Arjuna Award, doping, ethics in Sports and of course match-fixing had been jumbled together by the petitioner.

Seeking the court’s direction to the government for framing a proper statute, guidelines and regulatory mechanism, HFT counsel Raman Kapoor said no proper rules and regulations existed in the country on management of Sports.

The petitioner requested the court to issue a direction to the government for an independent investigation into the match-fixing and doping scandals and at the same time provide an interim protection to "honest sportspersons" against "unnecessary harassment".

"In the absence of proper laws on sports, the government has merely been working through contingency plans, policies and bargaining procedures," the PIL said.

Accusing the government of adopting a policy of adhocism, the HFT said "an exercise to bring in rule of law in sports in India is long overdue to rectify the anomalies."

It said the developed countries like USA, Australia and many European nations had framed comprehensive legislation for development of sports in a systematic way.

Even the highest national award — Arjuna and others — were not given on merit and many an eligible sportspersons were "not being considered", the PIL alleged.

"A look at the list of Arjuna awardees over a period of time and the criteria for selection show a complete arbitrary exercise of power by the government," it said adding the selction committees during the past several years had decided these awards on the basis of "incomplete, false and manipulated data."

"The Department of Youth Affairs and Sports, has failed miserably in its duty to carefully check, the achievements and credentials of the nominees of national federations for this purpose," it claimed.