FIR against Badminton star Lakshya Sen, coach Vimal over age fraud, cheating
Indian badminton star Lakshya Sen, his family and former national coach Vimal Kumar were charged with cheating and age fraud in an FIR filed in Bengaluru.
The FIR, filed on Thursday by M Goviappa Nagaraja, alleged that the 21-year-old reigning Commonwealth Games champion, along with his brother Chirag Sen, had fudged their age to get into playing age-group tournaments since 2010.
The complaint, a copy of which is in possession of PTI, also names Sen's father Dhirendra, a coach with the Sports Authority of India, mother Nirmala and Kumar who has been coaching the duo for more than 10 years.
They have been charged with cheating (Section 420), forgery (468), using a forged document as genuine (471) and acts done by several persons of common intention (34) under the Indian Penal Code.
The Sens, who hail from Uttarakhand, train under Kumar at the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy in Bengaluru, while the complainant runs another academy in the metropolis.
The complainant alleged that Kumar colluded with Lakshya's parents to forge a birth certificate in 2010. Categorically denying the charges, Kumar told PTI: "It is very annoying. It is cheap stuff. Lakshya has done well and has started training again after a break. It is mentally very disturbing for him."
Currently No. 6 in the world, Lakshya was on Wednesday honoured with the Arjuna Award at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. He won a World Championship bronze after going down to compatriot Kidambi Srikanth in 2021.
He was also a runner-up in the All England Championships and played a key role in India's historic Thomas Cup triumph earlier this year.
The chief coach of Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy, Kumar further said in a statement that the allegations were "baseless, frivolous and made with malicious intent".
"Age verification is the sole prerogative and responsibility of the Badminton Association of India who is sole governing authority for administering the game in India," he said. "All players no matter where they train always represent their respective affiliated state units or the country while participating in any domestic or international tournament."
"My focus over the 30 years as a coach has always been to groom our upcoming youngsters to the best of my ability to bring laurels for our country based on their merit. I therefore deny all these false allegations against me. I would not like to make any further comments in this regard," he added.
As per the complaint, Lakshya's age is 24, while the date of birth (August 16, 2001) registered with the Badminton Association of India makes him three years younger.
His elder brother Chirag, on the other hand, is alleged to be 26, even as his BAI ID makes him 24 (July 22, 1998).
According to the complaint, Lakshya deprived several children from getting access to quality badminton facilities and sponsorships by participating in several tournaments in age group category. The complainant further alleged that their family and the coach spoiled many upcoming talented shuttlers in the region and demanded legal action.
Lakshya and his family are yet to respond on the matter.
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Accused gunman at correspondents' dinner was believed to be targeting top officials, Blanche says
Washington (AP): The accused gunman who tried to storm the ballroom at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner with guns and knives travelled across the country before the event and is believed to have been targeting members of the Trump administration, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said Sunday.
Blanche also said officials believe the suspect traveled by train from California to Chicago and then on to Washington, where in recent days he checked in as a guest to the hotel where one of Washington's glitziest events was being held Saturday night.
Investigators have not publicly named the suspect, but two law enforcement officials familiar with the matter have identified him to The Associated Press as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen of Torrance, California.
Law enforcement officials who have examined the gunman's electronic devices and his writings preliminarily believe he intended to target administration members in attendance at the dinner. He attempted to charge into the cavernous ballroom at the Washington Hilton but was tackled to the ground in a chaotic scene that resulted in shots being fired, President Donald Trump being hurried off the stage and guests ducking for cover beneath their tables.
“It does appear that he did in fact set out to target folks who work in the administration, likely including the president,” Blanche told NBC's “Meet the Press.”
The suspect is believed to have purchased the firearms he carried within the last couple of years, Blanche said. He is not being cooperative and is expected to face multiple charges on Monday.
Video posted by Trump showed the suspect running past security barricades as Secret Service agents ran toward him. One officer was shot in a bullet-resistant vest but was recovering, officials said. The gunman was taken into custody and was not injured, but was being evaluated at a hospital, police said.
“He failed,” Blanche said on CBS's “Face the Nation.” “Law enforcement did their jobs.”
Social media posts that appear to match the suspect show he is a highly educated tutor and amateur video game developer.
A May 2025 profile photo of Allen appears to match the appearance of the man in a photo of the alleged attacker being taken into custody that was posted Saturday night by Trump. The photo, posted to the social networking site LinkedIn, shows him in a cap and gown after graduating with a master's degree in computer science from California State University, Dominguez Hills.
Allen earned a bachelor's degree in 2017 in mechanical engineering from the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. He listed his involvement there in a Christian student fellowship and a campus group that battled with Nerf guns.
The shooting at the security barricades happened minutes after the event got underway.
The Secret Service and other authorities swarmed the room as guests ducked under tables by the hundreds. Gasps echoed through the ballroom as guests realized something was happening. Hundreds of journalists immediately got on phones to call in information.
“Out of the way, sir!” someone yelled. Others yelled to duck. From one corner, a “God Bless America” chant began as the president was escorted offstage. Outside the hotel, members of the National Guard and other authorities flooded the area as helicopters circled overhead.
After an initial attempt to resume the event, it was scrapped for the night and will be rescheduled.
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