SC stays proceedings against Lakshya Sen in alleged age fraud case, issues notice

In a relief to Indian badminton player Lakshya Sen, the Supreme Court on Tuesday directed that no coercive action be taken against him in a case related to the alleged fabrication of his birth certificate. The case, which accuses Sen and his family of falsifying documents to participate in age-restricted badminton tournaments, has been stayed until the next hearing on April 16.

A bench comprising Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and K Vinod Chandran issued notice on Sen’s plea and halted the proceedings against him. This move came after the Karnataka High Court had earlier dismissed Sen’s petition seeking to quash the investigation. The SC’s decision provides temporary relief to the Commonwealth Games gold medalist.

The case stems from allegations that Sen’s parents, along with his coach—who is an employee of the Karnataka Badminton Association—manipulated his birth records to reduce his age by around two and a half years. This alleged act was reportedly done to help him participate in certain junior badminton tournaments. The complaint, which surfaced after documents were obtained through the Right to Information (RTI) Act, led to further legal scrutiny.

Following a complaint, a trial court directed the Sports Authority of India to submit original records for verification. Based on these findings, the court referred the matter to the police under Section 156(3) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC). Subsequently, an FIR was registered against Sen and others under Sections 420 (cheating), 468 (forgery for cheating), 471 (using forged documents), and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code.

On February 14, the Karnataka High Court dismissed Sen’s petition, stating that there were sufficient prima facie materials to continue the investigation. The court refused to interfere, citing that the complainant had produced crucial documents obtained through RTI that warranted further probe. With this setback, Sen approached the Supreme Court, leading to the latest relief granted by the apex court.

While the Supreme Court’s stay order has temporarily stalled the investigation, the final verdict on the case remains pending. The matter will now be heard again on April 16, when further legal proceedings will determine the next course of action.