The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) to recommend the name of five-time Paralympian Naresh Sharma as an additional participant in the 50 meter parashooting event in Tokyo Paralympic Games 2020, starting from August 24.

The Bench of Justices AM Khanwilkar, BR Gavai and Krishna Murari passed the order on an urgent petition filed by the Arjuna awardee Palaympian, challenging the Delhi High Court order against his arbitrary non-selection for the Tokyo Paralympic Games 2020 by the Paralympics Committee of India.

Today is the last date for recommending the names for Paralmypic events. PCI has been directed to report compliance of the order by tomorrow.

The petitioner had challenged the Delhi High Court order, saying that though it held the PCI acted in violation of its own criteria for selecting the team for 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, it didn’t take into account the gravity and urgency of the matter. He filed a Special Leave Petition in the apex court through Advocate Amit Kumar Sharma and Satyam Singh against the order of the Division Bench of Delhi High Court, wherein no short date for hearing was given to the petitioner, despite urgency in the matter.

During the July 30 hearing before the High Court, Mr Sharma said that the last date of selection for shooting in Tokyo Paralympic is August 2 and if the matter is heard on August 6, it would make the plea infructuous. He also sought responses from the PCI and the Centre on his appeal against its Single-Judge order, which had refused to interfere with his non-selection for the games.

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The Counsel had urged the High Court to list the matter on an early date, however, the bench had said the petitioner should have approached the court a little earlier and not at the last moment. The court had also refused to interfere with the selection of the other player over Sharma at this belated stage, noting that the shooting team was already in a bubble.

It, however, asked the Union Sports Ministry to examine the aspect and take action, if necessary.

The petition of five-time Paralympian shooter Naresh Kumar Sharma, challenging the Delhi High Court order against his arbitrary non-selection for the Tokyo Paralympic Games 2020 by the Paralympics Committee of India, will be heard by the Supreme Court this afternoon.

The Bench of Justices AM Khanwilkar, BR Gavai and Krishna Murari will hear the matter at 2 pm today.

The petitioner had challenged the Delhi High Court order, saying that though it held the PCI acted in violation of its own criteria for selecting the team for 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, it didn’t take into account the gravity and urgency of the matter. He filed a Special Leave Petition in the apex court through Advocate Amit Kumar Sharma and Satyam Singh against the order of the Division Bench of Delhi High Court, wherein no short date for hearing was given to the petitioner, despite urgency in the matter.

During the July 30 hearing before the High Court, Mr Sharma said that the last date of selection for shooting in Tokyo Paralympic is August 2 and if the matter is heard on August 6, it would make the plea infructuous. He also sought responses from the PCI and the Centre on his appeal against its Single-Judge order, which had refused to interfere with his non-selection for the games.

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The Counsel had urged the High Court to list the matter on an early date, however, the bench had said the petitioner should have approached the court a little earlier and not at the last moment. The court had also refused to interfere with the selection of the other player over Sharma at this belated stage, noting that the shooting team was already in a bubble.

It, however, asked the Union Sports Ministry to examine the aspect and take action, if necessary.