No permission granted by MC to Kumaria to use badminton hall

The ongoing investigation into the alleged possession of the Municipal Corporation’s multi-crore facility, ‘Shastri Badminton Hall’, by the Ludhiana Badminton Academy has seen a significant development.

As per information, the MC have intimidated the special investigation team (SIT), formed by the DC, in writing that Ludhiana Badminton Association secretary Anupam Kumaria was never granted permission to run his private academy, organise tournaments or operate the Ludhiana Badminton Association at the Shastri Badminton Hall. The development may bring trouble for Kumaria who has been managing the affairs of the academy for the past over a decade.

Case likely to be filed, say sources

Sources also suggested that the authorities are likely to register a case and issue a recovery notice to Kumaria for unauthorised use of the public property. It could lead to serious legal consequences as the investigation progresses.

Talking to The Tribune, SDM Jasleen Kaur Bhullar, when asked if the SIT inquired about any permission given to the academy to use the MC’s facilities for running the affairs of the body, stated: “The SIT had sent a letter to the corporation to seek a copy of the permission for using the badminton hall, if any given to the academy being managed by Kumaria and we have got a written reply from the MC in which it cleared that no permission was granted to use the hall to Kumaria or anyone.”

Meanwhile, the SDM, when asked about the expected time of submitting a report to Deputy Commissioner Himanshu Jain, said the other party (Kumaria’s side) has sought time to file a reply and documents. The inquiry would be finalised once all documents were received and scrutinised.

Notably, the complainant, national badminton player and coach Anand Tiwari, in his complaint has alleged that Ludhiana’s prestigious Shastri Badminton Hall, a government-owned multi crore property facility, was being illegally controlled and misused by unauthorised Ludhiana Badminton Association and secretary of the Ludhiana Badminton Academy Anupam Kumaria for the past 15 years. He has also been running the unauthorised academy registered at his residence without government approval. He was operating his personal academy at the hall. Entry fees, donations and sponsorship money had been collected in cash, siphoning millions from innocent players and their families. Despite claims of offering free coaching, bank records suggest that parents have paid in lakhs in the name of donations. The previous financial year bank account statement of the academy available with The Tribune belied the claims of academy secretary Kumaria as the bank statement shows that the academy received over Rs 10 lakh in donations via cheque or cash.

Kumaria had already denied the allegations and claimed that he would submit all evidences and would come out clean.

Ludhiana