Cycle polo player death: Kerala HC summons sport bodies' officials
Kochi, Dec 23: The Kerala High Court on Friday sought the personal appearance of the senior officials of the national federation and a Kerala-based association of cycle polo in connection with a plea blaming them for death of a 10-year-old Kerala player.
The player died due to food poisoning in Nagpur where she had gone to take part in a national championship of the sport.
Justice V G Arun sought the personal appearance of the secretary of the Cycle Polo Federation of India and office-bearers of the Cycle Polo Association of Kerala on January 12, 2023 the next date of hearing of the matter.
The order was confirmed by advocate Santhan V Nair who appeared for the Kerala Cycle Polo Association which moved the plea seeking contempt action against both the sports bodies for alleged violation of high court's direction of December 15 permitting teams selected by it to take part in the national championship.
"The petitioner begs to point out that the respondents herein have committed gross contempt of this court by not permitting the teams sponsored by the petitioner association to participate in the national championship.
They have committed further contempt of court by permitting the teams sponsored by the 2nd respondent (Cycle Polo Association of Kerala) to participate in the championship," it has said.
It has further contended that the high court orders were also violated by recognising teams sponsored by the 2nd respondent as the official team representing Kerala and by not providing food, transportation and accommodation to the teams sponsored by the petitioner association.
The court also issued notice to the two sports bodies on the plea moved by the Kerala Cycle Polo Association alleging that its team was permitted by the high court to participate in the sporting event at Nagpur in Maharashtra, but when its players -- including 10-year-old Fathima Nida Shihabuddin -- reached the venue, they were not provided food or lodging by the federation.
As a result, the players had to be accommodated in a local dormitory and the young girl got afflicted with food poisoning and died on Thursday morning, the petitioner association has said in its contempt plea filed through advocate Santhan V Nair.
"It is the specific case of the petitioner (Kerala Cycle Polo Association) that the respondents herein (Cycle Polo Federation of India and the Cycle Polo Association of Kerala) are responsible for the death of the player," the contempt plea has alleged.
It has claimed that when it arrived at the venue, the officials of the federation initially declined to allow them to participate and only after intervention of the Sports Ministry were the players selected by the petitioner permitted to take part.
However, the officials made it clear that they would not provide them with food and accommodation, the plea has claimed.
It has also claimed that food and accommodation was provided to the teams and players of the Cycle Polo Association of Kerala, which unlike the petitioners was not recognised by the Sports Council of the southern state.
It has also alleged that when the championship commenced from December 22, entry forms were not collected from it and neither were its players permitted to participate.
On the other hand, the teams and players of Cycle Polo Association of Kerala were allowed to participate, the plea has claimed.
According to police, Fathima Nida Shihabuddin's medico-legal case was received from Shrikrishna Hospital. She had gone there with the complaint of stomach ache and died five minutes after being administered an injection.
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Udupi: Two men from Belthangady awarded life imprisonment for attempt to murder a woman in 2022
Udupi: Two men from Belthangady have been sentenced to life imprisonment by a court in Udupi for attempting to murder a woman in Manchikumeri in 2022.
The sentenced men, Mithun and Nagesh Poojary, are learned to have attempted to murder Sumathi, wife of Ramanath Rai, a resident of Manchikumeri, who had a Nandini Milk Parlour at Tiger Circle, Manipal.
On February 18, 2022, Sumathi was reportedly alone at home when, at around 7 pm, Mithun, learned to be her nephew, and his friend Poojary came to the house. As Sumathi opened the door, the duo barged in and tried to strangulate her with an intention of murdering her. Sumathi reportedly lost consciousness under the attack.
The men packed her body in a sack and were then putting the sack into a suitcase to carry the body out, when they noticed that Rai and neighbours had arrived. They are learned to have opened the door when Rai knocked the door and then tried to escape. They were, however, caught by the neighbours and handed over to the police.
Further, Sumathi was found by the group in an unconscious state inside the suitcase in the house. She was rushed to the Manipal Hospital and learned to have recovered after a week of medical treatment.
A case had been registered at the Manipal Police Station.
The Udupi Principal District and Sessions Court judge Kiran S Gangannavar, who heard the case, has declared both Mithun and Poojary guilty in the case. He has awarded them life imprisonment, fined them Rs 20,000 each and, under Column 325, sentenced them to rigorous imprisonment of 5 years and fined them Rs 5,000 each.
Judge Gangannavar has directed that, of the fine, Rs 45,000 be handed to the attack victim Sumathi as relief.
Jayarama Shetty represented the government as Public Prosecutor.
