The Supreme Court on Monday quashed the FIR registered against badminton player Lakshya Sen, his family members, and coach in the birth certificate forgery case.
Sports News: Indian badminton star Lakshya Sen has received major relief from the Supreme Court. The country's highest court on Monday quashed the FIR registered against him and his family in connection with the birth certificate forgery case. The court clarified that proceeding with criminal proceedings in this matter would be unnecessary and an abuse of the legal process.
This case came into the limelight when a private complainant, M. G. Nagaraj, alleged that Lakshya Sen and his elder brother Chirag Sen's birth certificates were forged. Nagaraj also claimed that their parents, coach, and an official of the Karnataka Badminton Association were complicit in this.
Supreme Court's Unequivocal Decision
A two-member bench of Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Arvind Kumar, while hearing the case, said that continuing criminal proceedings against Lakshya Sen and his family would be a waste of judicial time and resources. Such proceedings would be considered an abuse of the court's process.
Earlier, the Karnataka High Court had dismissed the petitions filed in this case, stating that there was prima facie evidence based on which an investigation was required. However, the Supreme Court overturned the High Court's decision of February 19, 2024, clarifying that such complaints are made with the intention of tarnishing the image of the players.
What was the case about?
The private complaint filed by complainant M. G. Nagaraj claimed that Lakshya Sen's parents – Dhirendra Sen and Nirmala Sen, coach U. Vimal Kumar, and a federation employee conspired to tamper with the birth certificates of Lakshya and Chirag Sen. Nagaraj alleged that this forgery was done with the aim of reducing the players' age so that they could participate in age-based tournaments. However, the Supreme Court, after a thorough study of the case, concluded that initiating criminal proceedings at this stage would be inappropriate and unnecessary.
Lakshya Sen: India's Shining Star
23-year-old Lakshya Sen is considered one of India's best badminton players. He has achieved many significant achievements at the international level, including:
- Bronze medal in the World Badminton Championships
- Gold and Silver medals at the Commonwealth Games 2022
- Team Gold medal at the Asian Games
- Reaching the semi-finals of the Paris Olympics 2024
Lakshya Sen is also the first Indian male player to reach the singles semi-finals in the Olympics. His technique, reflexes, and confidence have earned him recognition worldwide.
