The Orissa High Court has slapped an interim stay onexecution of two controversial letters issued on different dates bythe Hockey India (HI) on the Hockey Odisha (HO). The interim stay isgranted till July 28 on the operation of the letters, said an order passed by the court last week.
A letter issued by the HI on March 24 was the final notice on the HO with reference to the membership of HO with the latter. Theletter has asked the HO to comply with the shortcomings raised by HIwithin 30 days, failing which, the HI will be left with no choice butto run the affairs of hockey in Odisha through an ad hoc committee.
Similarly, the HI had also issued a letter on January 29, 2018 inwhich the apex body of hockey in the country had asked the statecouncil to fix the age limit of all the elected office-bearers andBoard members of each of its units to below 70 years.
Hockey Odishavice-president Umakant Nanda had challenged the execution of theletters in the High Court.
Adjudicating the writ petition preferred by Nanda, Justice BRSarangi observed that the maintainability of the petition will beconsidered at the time of next hearing. “In the considered opinion ofthis Court, the matter requires consideration,” the order said, issuingnotices to ASG PK Parhi to obtain instructions from the Government ofIndia.
