Rifle body’s elections invalidated by court

A city court has declared the election of National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) president and secretary-general invalid, as they flouted norms by holding their respective posts, despite completion of their two terms.

A city court has declared the election of National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) president and secretary-general invalid, as they flouted norms by holding their respective posts, despite completion of their two terms.

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Additional District Judge, Ina Malhotra, said that rules laid down in the interest of Olympic sports have been flouted by monopoly of handful people.

Raju Soni, a life member of NRAI, approached the court challenging the re-election of Digvijay Singh as president (NRAI) and Baljit Singh Sethi as secretary general (NRAI). Soni in his petition alleged that the Sethi had been in office since June 1985, that is, continuously for six terms; and the president elected in 1999, is still occupying office after completion of his two terms. “The secretary-general is running NRAI as his personal fiefdom and quashes any dissent,” alleged Soni.

The court noted that according to Rule 13 in the mandate of NRAI, the maximum continuous period to an office by an elected member is of two terms.

The president and secretary-general contended that the said Rule 13 had been amended in 1993, which did away with the disqualification for holding office beyond two consecutive terms. Alok Kumar, counsel for Soni contended, “Amendments claimed by them were never accepted or notified by the Registrar of Societies,” The court noted that the Digvijay and Sethi could not produce any documents.

The court observed that no meeting was called for purpose of amendments of Rule 13.