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The Delhi High Court has held Bhola Nath Singh, Secretary General of Hockey India, guilty of contempt of court for wilfully disobeying its orders.
Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav delivered the judgment on April 20, noting clear non-compliance with a prior directive.
The court will hear arguments on sentencing on May 4, while also granting Singh the chance to “purge” the contempt by taking corrective steps.
What Led to This?
The case originates from a petition filed by Syeed Asima Ali, Hockey India’s elected Vice President, who flagged repeated violations of a court order dated January 17, 2025.
That order required Hockey India officials to provide her with access links to attend all executive board meetings, ensuring her participation in decision-making
processes.
But according to the court, those links were not shared for meetings held on July 4 and July 27, 2025.
Court’s Observations
The bench made it clear that the failure wasn’t accidental, and more importantly, not excusable.
It pointed out that Hockey India never sought any modification of the original order, nor made any effort to comply after the fact.
In a strongly worded remark, the court stated, “No endeavour has ever been made to purge the contempt… There was not even a whisper of an apology.”
“An unconditional apology, unlike the holy water from the Ganges, cannot purify the respondents… of his conscious, concerted, deliberate and willful disobedience.”
The court concluded that Singh’s conduct amounted to a “clear case of contempt.”
The court also stressed that a National Sports Federation, operating under state oversight and public funding, cannot afford to ignore judicial directions. Non-compliance, it said, is “no less than an administrative sin.”
The Backstory
The January 2025 directive itself stemmed from Ali’s plea challenging Singh’s eligibility to hold office, citing tenure and age restrictions under India’s Sports Code.
As an interim safeguard, the court had ordered that she be included in all executive meetings, a direction that ultimately triggered the present contempt ruling when ignored.
The sentencing is still pending.
(with PTI inputs)
