Santhanaraj v. The Sports Development Authority Of Tamil Nadu
BEFORE THE MADURAI BENCH OF MADRAS HIGH COURT DATED : 12.06.2025
CORAM
THE HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE C.SARAVANAN and W.M.P(MD)No.12034 of 2025 Santhanaraj ... Petitioner Vs.
1.The Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu, Represented by its Secretary, Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Raja Muthaiah Road, Periyamet, Chennai - 600 003.
2.Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu, Represented by its the Secretary / President, Room No.1, Mayor Radhakrishnan Hockey Stadium, Gandhi Irwin Road, Egmore, Chennai - 600 008.
3.The District Registrar (Administration), Registration of Societies, Palayankottai, Tirunelveli - 627 002.
4.Guru Chitra Shanmuga Bharathi
...Respondents
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Prayer: Writ Petition filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, praying this Court to issue a Writ of Certiorarified Mandamus, call for records of the second respondent, quash its impugned order dated 17.04.2025 and consequently direct respondents 1 and 2 to allow the petitioner's district team of Hockey Unit of Thoothukudi to participate in the Senior Men State Championship in upcoming sub-junior / Junior / Senior - Men / Women Hockey Tournaments in areas of Tamil Nadu including throughout India by forbearing fourth respondent till the final order is passed by third respondent. For Petitioner : Mr.I.Arockia Selvaraj For R3 : Mr.G.Suriyananth Additional Government Pleader
ORDER
This writ petition has been filed against the order, dated17.04.2025 and for a consequential direction to the respondents 1 and 2 to allow the petitioner's district team of Hockey Unit of Thoothukudi to participate in the Senior Men State Championship in upcoming sub-junior / Junior / Senior - Men / Women Hockey Tournaments in areas of Tamil Nadu including throughout India by forbearing fourth respondent till the final order is passed by third respondent. 2/6
2. The petitioner is already before this Court in W.P(MD)No.3933 of 2025, wherein, the petitioner has sought for the following relief: "To issue a Writ of Mandamus directing the respondents 1 to 3 to declare/ recognize and update the records of the newly elected office bearers of Executive Committee of Hockey Unit of Thoothukudi (Reg.No. 2/2023) and its action taken in valid in compliance with the Tamil Nadu Societies Registration Act, 1975 by considering the representation of Petitioner dated 03.01.2025 and consequently forbear 4th respondent and his removed members from interfering in the affairs of the Hockey Unit of Thoothukudi by virtue of order passed by 2nd respondent dated 12.07.2024."
3. The second respondent herein has issued the impugned communication titled "legal proceedings of W.P(MD)No.3933 of 2025", dated 17.04.2025, wherein, it has been concluded that the fourth respondent herein is still holding the office of the Secretary of the second respondent society. The petitioner's representation, dated 03.01.2025 has been discarded for the reasons stated in the impugned communication as under:
"5.After perusing the contention and representation of the rival parties, we found that, as per the records of the Hockey Unit of Tamilnadu Mr.Guru Chitra Shanmuga Bharathi is continuing as secretary of the Hockey Unit of Thoothukudi. The convening of general body by you (Mr.Santhanaraj) as a joint secretary of Hockey Unit of Thoothukudi is invalid, since as per the documents exits before the Hockey Unit of Tamilnadu said that you (Mr.Santhanaraj) is only a joint secretary and not the secretary to hold the power to convene the General body. Further with regard to notice of other 3/6
members for convening of general body is also denied by rival claimant. In addition, the Hockey Unit of Tamilnadu has not sent any representative in the name of observer for the General body conducted by you (Mr.Santhanaraj) as requested by you, more particularly for the show called election conducted by you. Further you (Mr.Santhanaraj) have also not produced any records from the District Registrar to show that either your application for renewal or newly constituted executive committee is acknowledged. Whereas the secretary of the Hockey Unit of Thoothukudi Mr.Guru Chitra Shanmuga Bharathi has produced an acknowledgment proceeding dated 19.03.2025 from the district registrar, society of registration, Palayamkottai. The records of our office shows that the letter dated 12.07.2024 mentioned in the prayer of the writ petition is also kept in abeyance, based on the instruction of president of Hockey Unit of Tamilnadu."
4. The said communication has been signed by the General Secretary of the second respondent. The records reveal that the second respondent is a society registered under the provisions of the Tamil Nadu Societies Registration Act, 1975 and is affiliated with Hockey India, New Delhi . As such, the writ petition filed for challenging the communication rejecting the request of the petitioner to be recognized as a Joint Secretary cannot be maintained. The petitioner has to workout the remedy under the provisions of the Tamil Nadu Societies Registration Act, 1975 or to approach the civil Court for appropriate relief.
5. The writ petition stands dismissed with the above observations. There 4/6
shall be no order as to costs. Consequently, the connected miscellaneous petition is closed.
12.06.2025 NCC : Yes / No Index : Yes / No Internet : Yes / No sn To 1.The Secretary, Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu, Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Raja Muthaiah Road, Periyamet, Chennai - 600 003.
2.The Secretary / President, Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu, Room No.1, Mayor Radhakrishnan Hockey Stadium, Gandhi Irwin Road, Egmore, Chennai - 600 008.
3.The District Registrar (Administration), Registration of Societies, Palayankottai, Tirunelveli - 627 002.
C.SARAVANAN, J.
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