Major setback for NRAI just a day before Commonwealth Shooting

16 February 2010. The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) is once again in the news for a wrong reason. The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed NRAI's petition for a stay on the January 15 order of a lower court that had declared the re-election of NRAI’s incumbent president and secretary general as invalid.

The lower court had said that president Digvijay Singh and secretary general Baljeet Singh Sethi can’t hold the office as they had flouted the norms for holding the post for more than two consecutive terms.

One of the life member’s of the NRAI, Raju Soni, had challenged the re-elections of the president and secretary general in the lower court, saying both Digvijay Singh and Baljeet Singh Sethi had been in office for more than two terms, which is against the norms (Rule 13 of the constitution) of the national shooting federation.

According to Soni’s lawyer Alok Kumar, a bench comprising of Chief Justice KG Balakrishnan dismissed the petition today, directing the shooting body that the matter is pending in the High Court. The next hearing in the Delhi High Court is on March 3.

Earlier, Delhi high court had refused to stay the order. And NRAI had immediately appealed to the Supreme court.

At a time when NRAI is conducting Commonwealth Shooting Championship in the Capital from Wednesday, the Supreme court's order, has come as a major setback for the national shooting body. Also Digvijay and Sethi had to step down till the legal wrangle is over.

NRAI in its general body meeting today, it is learnt, nominated Avtar Singh as its acting president and DVS Rao and Jagjit Singh both as secretary general. indianshooting.com