India-South Africa series called off due to COVID-19 threat
New Delhi: The two remaining ODIs between India and South Africa in Lucknow and Kolkata were on Friday called off owing to the COVID-19 threat as the country's sports calendar continued to go haywire because of the global pandemic.
"With the IPL being postponed, it only made sense that at this point of time, this series is also called off. The country is facing a serious pandemic," a top BCCI official told PTI.
The first ODI between the two sides in Dharamsala was washed out. Both the sides had reached Lucknow on Friday.
"The South African team will come to Delhi and leave by taking at the earliest available flight," he added.
The matches were earlier planned to be held behind closed doors due to the government directive, which asked for sporting events to be shut for fans in view of the pandemic.
The IPL was on Friday pushed to April 15 from its scheduled March 29 start. India has recorded more than 80 positive cases so far with the global infected count standing at over 100,000.
The death toll because of the virus has gone beyond 5,000 internationally.
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Only allegation-free individuals to handle Hajj pilgrims: Delhi High Court
New Delhi: In a recent ruling, the Delhi High Court stated that individuals with no allegations of deceit should be entrusted with the responsibility of handling pilgrims keeping in mind the sanctity of Hajj.
Justice Subramonium Prasad highlighted the provision in the Haj Policy, granting the Central Government authority to bar Hajj Group Organizers (HGOs) against whom complaints of misconduct have been lodged, particularly concerning their dealings with pilgrims.
The court's stance came in response to a plea filed by Al Islam Tour Corporation challenging the Centre's decision to blacklist it for ten years, starting from Hajj 2021. This decision followed a complaint from a Hajj pilgrim, accusing the corporation of defrauding him in 2013 by accepting Rs. 13 lakhs for pilgrimage expenses but failing to refund the money upon cancellation.
Dismissing the plea, the court noted that the petitioner wasn't registered as an HGO for Hajj 2018 and thus shouldn't have been involved in any Hajj-related activities without proper registration.
The court underscored the significance of the Hajj pilgrimage for many Indians, often being a once-in-a-lifetime journey for the less privileged who may spend their entire savings on it.
Furthermore, the court said that while the majority of Indian pilgrims obtain permission from the Hajj Committee, some experienced private tour operators are also authorised to facilitate the pilgrimage.
Considering the objectives of the Hajj Policy and the seriousness of the complaint against the petitioner, the court deemed the imposed penalty justified and saw no need for modification.
