New Delhi: The Supreme Court will urgently hear, on Monday
itself, the plea of five-time Paralympian shooter Naresh Kumar Sharma against
his not being selected for the upcoming Tokyo Paralympics games.
Hours after the plea was
mentioned before a bench headed by Chief Justice N V Ramana, by senior lawyer
Vikas Singh on behalf of the shooter, the plea has been listed for urgent
hearing before a three judge bench.
The CJI had assured the
senior lawyer that he would see the files and decide.
The bench comprising justices
A M Khanwilkar, B R Gavai and Krishna Murari will consider Naresh Kumar
Sharma's plea for selection to games.
Singh told the bench that any
delay in hearing before the Delhi High Court would render his plea seeking
inclusion in the Indian contingent for the games infructuous as the last date
for selection for the shooting event in Tokyo Paralympics is August 2.
The Paralympian shooter has
challenged an order of the Delhi High Court which had posted his plea relating
to his non-selection for the upcoming Tokyo games for hearing on August 6.
The shooter said a division
bench of the high court had on July 30 sought responses of the Paralympics
Committee of India (PCI) and the Centre on his appeal against its single-judge
order which had refused to interfere with his non-selection for the games.
It said the petitioner's
counsel had tried for an early date of hearing before the high court since, as
per policy of PCI, the deadline for sending names of final selected candidates
for participation in the games is August 2.
“The petitioner humbly seeks
intervention of this court in the present matter as the legitimate opportunity
of the petitioner to participate in Tokyo Paralympics in R7 event and
consequently bring laurels to the country will be lost if the arbitrary,
discriminatory and capricious selection of the shooter in R7 event by the
selection committee of PCI is allowed,” the plea said.
During the July 30 hearing
before the high court, Naresh Kumar Sharma's counsel had submitted that the
event will start from August 24, and August 2 is the deadline for Tokyo 2020
organising committee to receive sports entry forms submitted by the National
Paralympic Committee (NPC).
The counsel had urged the
high court to list the matter on an early date, however, the bench had said the
petitioner should have approached the court a little earlier and not at the
last moment.
On July 27, the high court's
single-judge order had said that PCI's conduct in relation to the selection of
another player over Naresh Kumar Sharma was “unbecoming of a public sporting
body” which has to maintain a fair, transparent and inclusionary approach.
The court had, however,
refused to interfere with the selection of the other player over Naresh Kumar
Sharma at this belated stage, noting that the shooting team was already in a
bubble.
It, however, had asked the
Union Sports Ministry to examine the aspect and take action, if necessary.
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