The Supreme Court has drawn the final line under a contentious criminal case that accused celebrated Indian shuttlers Lakshya Sen and Chirag Sen of faking their age to gain a competitive edge. In a strongly-worded judgment, the apex court struck down the case as a blatant misuse of criminal law, declaring the allegations not only hollow but also steeped in malice.
A bench led by Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Aravind Kumar didn’t mince words, calling the accusations a “manifest attempt to malign” the international athletes who’ve represented India with distinction on the global stage, winning medals at events like the Commonwealth Games and BWF tournaments.
“To drag such individuals—who have upheld the spirit of sportsmanship and brought national honour—into a criminal trial without even a shred of credible evidence is not justice,” the Court remarked. It warned against weaponizing the criminal justice system to settle personal scores, branding such tactics as an abuse of process that it would not tolerate.
The allegations stemmed from a complaint by one Nagaraja M.G., who accused the Sen brothers, their parents, and coach U. Vimal Kumar from the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy of forging birth documents to qualify for age-restricted U-13 and U-15 categories. An FIR had been registered under IPC Sections 420, 468, and 471.
But the Court dismantled the entire case, noting that the prosecution’s foundation rested on a lone 1996 General Provident Fund nomination form—lacking authentication, credibility, or any proof of wrongful intent. Even more damning: the complaint was lodged only after Nagaraja’s daughter was denied admission to the same academy, exposing the undercurrents of personal grievance.
The judgment also took note of the Sports Authority of India’s prior closure of the matter after scientific tests, including bone ossification and dental assessments conducted at AIIMS Delhi, confirmed the players’ age.
“There is no evidence that any forged documents were created, let alone used with dishonest intent. No authority was duped, no wrongful gain was made. The case, even on its face, fails to trigger the basic ingredients required to invoke the penal provisions,” the Court stated.
Quoting its own precedent in Pepsi Foods Ltd. v. Special Judicial Magistrate, the bench emphasized that summoning someone in a criminal case is a grave step, not to be taken on a whim or wielded as a weapon of vendetta.
With this ruling, the Court not only quashed the criminal proceedings against the Sen brothers but also sent a clear message—sporting excellence cannot and will not be soiled by unsubstantiated vendettas dressed in legal clothing.
