Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court has declined to quash a cheating case against Indian badminton players Lakshya Sen, Chirag Sen, their parents, and coach U Vimal Kumar over alleged fabrication of birth certificates for age-group tournaments.
Justice MG Uma, while pronouncing the order, observed that prima facie evidence indicated collusion in manipulating birth certificates, thereby making it inappropriate to quash the case at this stage.
The case originated from a private complaint filed by MG Nagaraja, who, based on documents obtained through the Right to Information (RTI) Act, alleged that Chirag Sen’s birth certificate had been altered to show his birth date as July 22, 1998, instead of his actual birth period in January-February 1996.
Similar allegations were made regarding Lakshya Sen’s birth records, allegedly modified to falsely establish eligibility for age-restricted tournaments and government benefits.
Following the complaint, the trial court directed an investigation under Section 156(3) of the Criminal Procedure Code, leading to an FIR at the High Grounds Police Station in Bengaluru.
The High Court found merit in the RTI-based evidence, holding that the investigation should proceed unhindered. It dismissed the petitions seeking to quash the case, stating that there was sufficient material to justify further inquiry.
Despite multiple opportunities, the petitioners’ counsel, Advocate Varun Joshi, did not present arguments. On the other hand, the State of Karnataka was represented by High Court Government Pleader (HCGP) Venkat Sathyanarayan, while Advocate K Vijaya Kumar appeared for the complainant.
