New Delhi: In a big relief for badminton player Lakshya Sen, the Supreme Court, on Monday, quashed an FIR against him, his family members, and coach in an alleged birth certificate forgery case.
The bench of Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia and Justice Aravind Kumar said the continuation of criminal proceedings against Lakshya is unwarranted and amounts to abuse of the process of court.
The top court had earlier issued notices to the Karnataka government and complainant M G Nagaraj, who alleged that birth certificates of Lakshya Sen and his brother Chirag Sen were forged.
The top court was hearing a plea challenging the February 19 order of the Karnataka High Court which rejected the petitions filed by Lakshya, his family members, and coach U Vimal Kumar. The High Court ruled there was prima facie evidence warranting an investigation into the case.
The case stems from a private complaint filed by Nagaraj, who alleged Lakshya’s parents Dhirendra and Nirmala Sen, along with his brother, coach, and an employee of the Karnataka Badminton Association, were involved in “falsifying” the birth records.
The FIR stemmed from a 2022 complaint filed by Nagaraj, head of a rival badminton academy, who alleged that Lakshya’s parents and coach had colluded in 2010 to forge the birth certificates of Lakshya and his brother, Chirag, to qualify for age-restricted tournaments. The complainant also alleged that the family used the documents to claim government benefits and submitted RTI-obtained records in support of the accusations.
The Karnataka Police had registered the case under IPC sections 420 (cheating), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), and 471 (using forged documents as genuine). However, the investigation remained stalled after the Karnataka High Court granted an interim stay. In February 2025, the High Court dismissed the petitions seeking to quash the FIR, prompting the family and coach to approach the Supreme Court.
“I respect the Hon’ble Supreme Court’s decision and am thankful that the matter has now been concluded,” Lakshya said in a statement following the verdict.
“I had faith in the judiciary and am glad that it has brought clarity. My focus remains on badminton, and I’m committed to continuing my journey with full dedication. I appreciate the support I’ve received from well-wishers during this time,” the 23-year-old added.
