Delhi High Court sets aside TTFI secretary Kamlesh Mehta's suspension

The Delhi High Court, on Monday, set aside the suspension of Kamlesh Mehta as the secretary general of the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) earlier this year.

Mehta, a veteran paddler who has represented India at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, was suspended from his position and declared persona non grata after a resolution was passed against him in an Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the national federation called by President Meghana Ahlawat in January.

Mehta, who claimed that he got to know of his suspension via media reports, had then challenged the legitimacy of the AGM called by TTFI President, alleged government lapses as he filed a petition in the Delhi High Court in February.

In a relief to Mehta, a bench led by Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav, set aside his suspension and appointed an enquiry authority to investigate into the conduct and functioning of TTFI.

"The Impugned Order declaring the petitioner, the Secretary General of TTFI, as persona non grata and suspending him from his post, is hereby set aside," the order from the Court read.

"Hon'ble Mr. Justice (Retd.) Krishna Murari, Former Judge, Supreme Court of India, is appointed as the Enquiry Authority to inquire into the conduct and functioning of TTFI, including but not limited to the office bearers of the said federation," it added.

Any further action against the TTFI office bearers, including petitioner Mehta, will be undertaken only after a thorough investigation by the appointed Enquiry Authority, the court noted.