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BFI crisis grows, president, secretary suspend each other
BFI president Ajay Singh and secretary general Pramod Kumar have suspended each other amid a power struggle over a no-confidence motion and SGM.
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New Delhi: The ongoing crisis in the Boxing Federation of India (BFI) took a worse turn on Wednesday with president Ajay Singh and secretary general Pramod Kumar ‘suspending’ each other. This comes on the heels of Kumar proposing a No Confidence Motion against Singh on October 8 and asking affiliated state units to join an SGM on October 24.
Singh responded by issuing show-cause notices to Kumar on October 10 and 12, and after getting no response from him, suspended him on October 13.
“By way of SCN dated 10.10.2026 (Annexure 1) and further notice dated 12.10.2026 (Annexure 2), you have been afforded sufficient opportunity to respond to and explain the serious allegations, conduct and circumstances justifying your suspension from the Office of the Secretary General of the Boxing Federation of India (BFI). You have however, chosen not to respond to the aforesaid notices and instead, just prior to the deadline expiring, issued a frivolous communication alleging that your access to your email account has been disabled, due to which you have not responded to the SCN,” Singh noted.
“You are hereby placed under interim suspension from the office of Secretary General with immediate effect, pending completion of the inquiry or until the order is modified or revoked by the competent authority, subject to the applicable provisions of the BFI Constitution,” said the letter, a copy of which is with HT.
On Wednesday, Kumar is learnt to have met representatives from various state associations and 27 of the 34 units are said to be supporting him. Soon after the meeting, he issued a letter suspending Singh.
“Being habitual of having almost no regard for the democratic set up and treating Boxing Federation of India as your fiefdom, you showed no regard for the served upon Cease- and-Desist Notice dated 08.10.2026 in continuation Of Special General Meeting of the General Body to deliberate and vote upon the Motion of No Confidence against you. You have continued to assert executive control over the day-to-day administration of the federation,” it said.
“This unwarranted interference directly violates the constitutional framework of the Boxing Federation of India, causes administrative disarray, and threatens to compromise the sanctity and fair conduct of the upcoming Special General Meeting.”
The BFI issued a rebuttal, questioning the legality of the scheduled SGM.
“Under Clause 33(ii), a Special General Meeting (SGM) may be called by the President at his discretion or following a written request from two-thirds of the Executive Council members. Such a request may be submitted to the President and/or Secretary General, following which the President must cause the meeting to be convened within 30 days.
“Clause 26(iii) provides that the Secretary General convenes General Council and Executive Council meetings under the advice of the President. It does not give the Secretary General unrestricted authority to independently convene an SGM,” it said.
The federation said the secretary general doesn’t have the constitutional authority to suspend the president.
“The constitution does not confer an independent power on the Secretary General to suspend the President. BFI therefore rejects the claim that a letter issued solely under the Secretary General’s authority can, by itself, suspend the sitting President,” it said.
