Respite for Lakshya Sen as SC Puts the Brakes on Age Fraud Probe

In a decision dated February 25, 2025, the Supreme Court ordered a stay on criminal proceedings against Indian badminton player and former World Junior No.1 Lakshya Sen, his family members, and his coach in connection with the alleged forgery of the Sen brothers’ birth certificates.[1]

The case stems from a private complaint filed by one Nagaraja MG (Respondent No.2 herein), who alleges that Sen’s parents, in collusion with his coach, managed to fabricate the birth certificates of the Sen brothers to reduce their ages by about two and a half years. This alleged forgery was intended to enable the brothers to take part in age-category badminton tournaments and claim government benefits. It is stated that following a departmental enquiry, Sen’s father was found guilty by the Enquiry Officer, a decision that was later confirmed by the Disciplinary Authority.

Nagaraja backed his accusations with documents obtained under the Right to Information Act, 2005. On verification of documents, the Trial Court referred the matter for investigation, leading to the filing of an FIR. However, the investigation was not concluded, as the Karnataka High Court issued an interim order of stay in 2022 when the petitions were filed by the accused.

On February 19, 2025, the Karnataka High Court dismissed the writ petitions, ruling that there were sufficient prima facie materials to proceed with the investigation. The accused challenged this decision before the Supreme Court, which granted a stay on the proceedings. The matter is scheduled for further hearing on April 16, 2025.

In a related development, the Badminton Association of India (BAI) suspended Lakshya’s brother Chirag in 2016 after receiving a preliminary report from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)’s sports integrity unit. The report alleged that Chirag’s date of birth was manipulated by his parents. While BAI had registered Chirag’s birth date as July 22, 1998, the birth certificate issued by the registrar listed it as March 11, 2005, based on an affidavit submitted by Sen’s father. Interestingly, Nagaraja claims that Chirag’s actual birth year is 1996, referencing a nomination form bearing Sen’s father’s signature.

[1] Chirag Sen and Ors. v. State of Karnataka and Anr. [SLP(Crl) Diary No. 9824/2025]