Cuttack, Nov 7:
The Orissa High Court has stayed the Hockey India elections scheduled for December 5, passing an interim order following a legal challenge mounted by the Hockey Association of Odisha over its proposed reclassification from Permanent Member to Associate Member status.
A single-judge bench comprising Justice R.K. Pattanaik issued the stay order while hearing a writ petition filed by Hockey Odisha challenging a show-cause notice issued by the national federation. The court has posted the next hearing in the case for December 9.
The legal standoff stems from a resolution passed during Hockey India’s 120th Executive Committee meeting on October 6. Hockey Odisha challenged the validity of the notice on the grounds that the tenure of Hockey India’s Executive Committee had officially expired on September 30, arguing that the committee lacked lawful jurisdiction to alter membership credentials or initiate punitive proceedings after the completion of its term.