Excelsior Sports Correspondent
SRINAGAR, July 25: The High Court today quashed an FIR and proceedings emanating from it against International canoeing star and former Indian national Canoeing team coach Bilquis Mir and described it as witch hunt by vested interests.
Justice Sanjay Dhar has quashed the FIR against Mir citing that continuance of criminal proceedings against her in these circumstances would be nothing but an abuse of process of law.
The allegations made in the impugned FIR and the material collected in support thereof by the Investigating Agency even if admitted to be correct, the same do not make out any offence against the petitioner. Thus, this is a fit case where this court should exercise its powers under Section 528 of BNSS to quash the impugned FIR and the proceedings emanating therefrom so as to secure the end of justice.”, the court concluded.
The Court, while going through the Case Diary, was alarmed to note that the probe agency has even tried to go into the issue as to whether the answer scripts of Mir in her graduate examination have been properly evaluated by the examiners.
“This attitude of the respondent clearly smacks of wreaking vengeance upon the petitioner. The present case appears to be nothing but a witch-hunt launched against the petitioner by vested interests”, Justice Dhar recorded.
Mir, through the medium of present petition, challenged FIR No.23/2023 for offences under Section 5(1)(d) read with 5(2) of J&K Prevention of Corruption Act and Section 120-B of RPC registered with Police Station Anti-Corruption Bureau Central Kashmir, Srinagar
Justice Dhar after perusal of the brief history of Mir and her achievements in a short span of time said, this country has produced very few sports personalities and coaches of the level of Mir and instead of honouring them and celebrating their achievements, it seems that the people at helm of affairs are leaving no stone unturned in harassing such talented people.
“No surprise that even after more than 75 years of independence, this country has failed to develop a sporting culture, as a consequence whereof, we have failed to produce sportsmen/women of international standards in proportion to our population. The attitude of the respondent Investigating Agency in criminalizing non-acquisition of a technical qualification by the petitioner-Mir when she has brought laurels to the Country all over the world speaks volumes about the manner in which we are treating our sporting heroes”, Justice Dhar recorded.
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