The Bombay High Court on Friday directed the Centre to offer help to badminton player Prajakta Sawant in receiving a United Kingdom visa in order to participate in the All England Championship starting from March 5.
Sawant's lawyer informed the court that she had submitted a visa application to the British High Commission in Hyderabad but she had been denied a visa. This has caused a lot of furor resulting in a deadlock denying her to prove her mettle. Perhaps, this is not an isolated case with Indian sportspersons as similar incidents get reported time and again.
Chief Justice Mohit Shah and Justice Anoop Mohta told the Badminton Authority of India (BAI), "You must be helping other players to get a visa. You should help her also." This was the directive that was officially given Prajakta knocked the doors of court for justice.
Sawant had previously sought the intervention of the Bombay High Court accusing national badminton coach Pullela Gopichand of 'mental harassment, after being denied her choice of doubles partners.
Chief Justice Shah said, "In this country if people want to help you they will go out of their way. But if they are against you, they won't. That is the misfortune."
Sawant's lawyer informed the court that her visa application was rejected as the embassy said her name is not reflected on the website that indicated names of all Indian players participating in the event. Sawant's lawyer said that the contingent is scheduled to leave on March 3.
BAI's counsel Girish Godbole said that the visa application is made by players on their own and Sawant was given a letter identical to others on January 28 in order to facilitate her visa application. "We have not created any obstacle whatsoever," Godbole said.
The court stated that Sawant should have carried all documents to her visa interview. "People are not out to garland you when you ask for a visa. You have to show document proof when you apply for a visa to UK or USA," Chief Justice Shah said.
Interestingly, Gopichand submitted another affidavit to the court in which he wrote, "At a time when the Indian team is preparing to participate in the prestigious All England Championships, these events (in court) have really upset me and caused a lot of mental stress."
He also said that Sawant and her father had habitually harassed him. Sawant's "impertinence and stubborn attitude" reflects her attitude towards the sport and she has no respect for her coaches or the association, Gopichand contended. He also wrote that she had threatened to commit suicide. This, he said, "would lay a very bad precedent as then every student will make wild and vexatious allegations against the coaches and ultimately it is the game that will suffer."
Perhaps, the Sawant episode appears to have been buried under the hatchet with the court deciding to rule in her favor. However, many feel that is up for the association and concerned authorities to avoid the recurrence of any such events in the future.
