High Court Considers Initiating Perjury Proceeding Against WFI Official

Delhi High Court on Monday asked a top Wrestling Federation official why perjury proceedings should not by initiated against him for filing a false affidavit in a plea moved by grappler Sushil Kumar for a trial to decide who will represent the nation at Rio Olympics in 74 kg freestyle category.

Justice Manmohan was of the view that "action is called for" against Raj Singh, a senior Vice President of the Wrestling Federation of India, for filing a false affidavit stating that trials had been held and conducted by him as head coach in 1996 to select a candidate to represent India in the 48 kg Greco-Roman class of wrestling for the Olympic games held in Atlanta.

The court issued notice to Singh and sought his response by July 29 after WFI contended before it that he was not the head coach of the Indian team in 1996 nor were any trials held by him for selecting a candidate to represent India in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

"Since all the counsel were in agreement that a false affidavit has been filed in the present proceedings by Raj Singh... this court is of the opinion that action is called for.

"Consequently, the Registry of this court is directed to issue notice without process fee to Raj Singh, Vice President of Wrestling Federation of India, under Criminal Procedure Code read with section 195 (giving false evidence) of IPC directing him to file a response within six weeks. List the case for consideration of initiation of perjury proceedings on July 29, 2016," the judge said.

The court while issuing the direction, hoped that the present case was "not an offshoot of internal politics" of WFI "in which a wrestler has been 'led down the garden path' by an office bearer and/or has been used 'as a pawn' to settle his own score either way".

The direction and the observation came while dismissing Sushil Kumar's plea.