Delhi HC stays the appointment of Ad-hoc Committee for EFI

In a big decision, the divisional bench of the Delhi High Court stayed the appointment of the Adhoc Administrative Committee (AAC) to run the Equestrian Federation of India (EFI) on Wednesday.

With this move, the control of the Federation has come back to the existing executive committee.

As reported by The Bridge, the Delhi High Court, while hearing a plea by the Rajasthan Equestrian Association (REA) on May 24, had ordered the appointment of an ad-hoc panel under Justice Nazmi Wajiri to run the affairs of the EFI.

However, the EFI filed a Letter Patent Appeal (LPA) against the single bench's order, resulting in a favorable ruling for the federation. The Court's decision reinstated the 20-member Executive Committee that was formed following the 2019 elections, thus returning control of the EFI to the previously elected body.

"We had faith in the judiciary. We thank the court for hearing our concerns and delivering justice in this case. This is a crucial Olympic year and we want to stay focussed on providing the best possible support to our athletes. This decision will help us in this endeavor of ours," Col Jaiveer Singh, who will now continue as Secretary General of the EFI, said.

"We have done nothing wrong. The allegations of impropriety were baseless. We have always worked for the betterment of sport and our athletes and will continue to do so. The exemptions we got from the Sports Ministry were a validation of our intent and the multiple requirements and needs of the sport. We were working in tandem with the government and will continue to do so," Jaiveer said.

The Court brought back the 20-member Executive Committee that had come into existence in the 2019 elections.