Divya Delhi : The Delhi High Court declined to entertain a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that sought a ban on Bangladesh’s participation in international cricket tournaments, including the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, citing alleged violence against the Hindu community in the neighbouring country. A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia strongly criticised the petition, calling it frivolous and legally untenable. The Bench made it clear that Indian courts cannot issue writs to a foreign nation, international sports bodies, or dictate how the Union government should conduct its foreign policy. “This is a policy matter relating to foreign affairs. Such issues are within the domain of the Ministry of External Affairs, not the judiciary,” the Bench observed, questioning the very maintainability of the plea. The petition was filed by a law student, who had also named the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the International Cricket Council (ICC), Sri Lanka Cricket Board and the Bangladesh Cricket Board as respondents. The plea demanded that Bangladesh be barred from all international cricketing events until alleged violence against Hindus in the country comes to an end. The Court also took a dim view of the arguments advanced by the petitioner’s counsel, noting that reliance was placed on an unrelated Delhi High Court judgment and even an order passed by a court in Pakistan. Chief Justice Upadhyaya cautioned that exemplary costs could be imposed for filing such a petition without legal basis. After the Bench repeatedly flagged the lack of jurisdiction and maintainability, the petitioner’s lawyer sought permission to withdraw the plea. Accepting the request, the Court dismissed the PIL as withdrawn. The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, which the petition sought to impact, is scheduled to begin next month and will be jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka.
