SC mulls inquiry panel for 'deeper' probe into affairs of sports bodies
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Thursday hinted at appointing an inquiry commission for a "deeper probe" into the affairs of sports associations in the country and said aside from sporting activities "all kinds of things are happening" in them.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh was hearing a plea of two national Kabaddi players in which it had previously sought views for a CBI probe into the affairs of the Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India (AKFI) and the International Kabaddi Federation.
"We are inclined to appoint a commission of inquiry for a deeper probe into the affairs of Kabaddi associations because other than sports activities all kinds of things are happening in these bodies. We also intend to then expand the scope of commission of inquiry to other sports associations," the bench said.
Additional solicitor general K M Nataraj, appearing for the Centre, said in pursuant to the bench's order of February 4, the players were sent for the tournament in Iran, where they emerged triumphant and won gold.
As far as the CBI probe is concerned, Nataraj said, modalities were being worked out.
He sought two more weeks to work on it following which the bench said it will inquire into the affairs of all state and international sports associations in the country and dissolve them, if a need arises.
The top court allowed the intervention applications of several former players and existing players for giving suggestions on the working of sports associations and the investigation needed and posted the hearing four weeks later.
On February 6, the top court asked the AKFI administrator and former judge S P Garg to hand over charge to its elected governing body to allow player participation in a sporting event which was to start on February 20 in Iran.
The top court was hearing the plea of Priyanka and Pooja seeking direction to AKFI -- unaffiliated by the International Kabaddi Federation -- for sending them to Asian Kabaddi Championship.
It previously directed the Centre to explore diplomatic channels for the resolution of the conflict over the recognition of the sports associations, most urgently the Kabaddi Federation of India.
"The director, CBI, would suggest an investigation mechanism for effective domestic and international probe, with the assistance of international investigating agencies such as the INTERPOL, into the affairs of the sports federation," it said.
The top court also sought to know the measures to ensure Kabaddi players and other sports persons were allowed to participate in international competitions, including the Asian Kabaddi Championship in Iran.
The international federation de-affiliated AKFI in July, last year, barring Kabaddi teams from participating in several global events.
The women players, who moved the top court, sought a direction to the Centre to take steps for restoring the affiliation of AKFI.
Two former players, who are Arjuna Awardees, have also intervened in the matter and apprised the court about the affairs of AKFI through their counsel senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan.
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Vartha Bharati–Sankalp predictions align closely with Karnataka bypoll results
Bengaluru: The Vartha Bharati–Sankalp election analysis has shown a high level of accuracy in predicting the outcome of the recent Karnataka Assembly by-elections held in May 2026, correctly calling winners in both constituencies and closely estimating vote share trends.
The by-elections were held in Bagalkot and Davanagere South, drawing significant political attention as both seats were seen as key tests for the ruling Congress and opposition BJP.
According to the analysis, Vartha Bharati–Sankalp had made three major projections ahead of the results the winning party, vote share percentages, and margin of victory.
In both constituencies, the platform accurately predicted that the Congress would emerge victorious. The outcome matched the projections, with Congress candidates winning in Bagalkot and Davanagere South.
In terms of vote share, the predictions were largely in line with the final results. In Bagalkot, the BJP’s vote share was forecast in the range of 40 to 46 per cent, while the actual figure stood at 42.9 per cent. The Congress vote share, however, exceeded expectations, with the party securing 55.4 per cent against a projected range of 43 to 48 per cent.
The margin of victory in Bagalkot turned out to be significantly higher than anticipated. While the projection had placed the margin between 2,000 and 3,500 votes, the final margin was around 22,332 votes.
In Davanagere South, the predictions also remained largely accurate. The Congress vote share was projected between 43 and 51 per cent, and the final figure stood at 43.9 per cent. The BJP was expected to secure between 42 and 50 per cent but ended with 40.3 per cent.
The analysis had also identified the role of SDPI as a potential spoiler in the constituency. While its vote share was estimated around 6 per cent, the party eventually secured around 12 per cent of the vote.
The margin of victory in Davanagere South was predicted to be between 1,500 and 2,600 votes. The actual margin was higher at around 5,708 votes, though the contest remained relatively close as anticipated.
Overall, the performance of Vartha Bharati–Sankalp stood out for correctly identifying the winning parties in both seats and maintaining close accuracy in vote share estimates, with only limited deviations in specific cases.
