No appeal against Sarita's ban: BI to HC
Source: The Sangai Express / Press Trust of India

New Delhi, January 05 2015: Boxing India today told the Delhi High Court that it cannot appeal against the International Boxing Association's (AIBA) decision to suspend boxer Laishram Sarita for refusing to accept the bronze medal at the Asian Games in South Korea.

"No appeal lies against the disciplinary authority's (AIBA) decision to suspend India's woman boxer Laisram Sarita Devi," it told a bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw.

Boxing India's submission came in response to its reply being sought by the Court on December 24, last year while hearing a plea challenging AIBA's Disciplinary Commission's decision.

The sports body told the Court that "even Sarita Devi is not aggrieved with AIBA's decision and has also not sought their interference" .

Taking on record the submission of the sports body, which further said that Sarita's suspension was reduced from two to one year, the Court asked the petitioner, "What more remains in his petition? .

"It is really a peculiar case where respondent 5 (Sarita) and respondent 3 (Boxing India) are not aggrieved with the decision," the Court said Senior advocate Rajiv Dutta, the petitioner, then sought directions to the Sports Ministry and Boxing India to produce the relevant rules and regulations which do not provide for an appeal against AIBA's decision.

Taking note of his plea, the Court asked the authorities concerned to place all relevant materials before it for its consideration and fixed January 14 for further hearing.

Sarita, who had refused to accept the medal to protest against her controversial semifinal bout loss, has been banned from Oct 1, 2014 to Oct 1, 2015 and fined 1000 Swiss francs.

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