Karnataka High Court Directs State To Grant Cash Awards For The 7th World Dwarf Games Medalists
The Karnataka High Court Writ Petition filed by the Petitioners, physically challenged persons with Dwarfism, challenging the Order which declined their claim to get a cash award.
The Karnataka High Court directed the State to grant cash awards to the Petitioners who won medals at the 7th World Dwarf Games in Canada.
The Court allowed the Writ Petition filed by the Petitioners, physically challenged persons with Dwarfism, challenging the Order which declined their claim to get a cash award in terms of two Government Orders for competing in the 7th World Dwarf Games, 2017. The impugned Order stated that the Games were an invited sports event, where the sportspersons had directly participated and paid individual entry fees. Therefore, the team was not sponsored by the Government of India, and hence they could not demand the case price.
A Single Bench of Justice M Nagaprasanna remarked, “The impugned order that is passed runs counter to the finding therein and the justification by way of statement of objections against taking away the right of these petitioners that was crystalized long before issuance of the Government order dated 09-10-2017 is unsustainable.”
Advocate Arnav A Bagalwadi appeared for the Petitioners, while AGA Mohammed Jaffar Shah represented the Respondents.
Brief Facts
The Petitioners, individuals with dwarfism who participated in the 2017 games, had previously received cash awards and benefits for similar achievements.
The State submitted that the participation of the Petitioners in the games was not at the behest of the State, since the Government did not sponsor the candidates to any world event and having participated on their own volition, they cannot demand a cash price.
Court’s Reasoning
The High Court noted, “In terms of aforesaid Government orders, a participant in the world dwarf game and winning medals would be entitled to cash price of ₹10/- lakhs for gold, ₹7/- lakhs for silver and ₹5/- lakhs for bronze is what is depicted. As observed hereinabove, the petitioners participated in the world dwarf games held between 04-08-2017 to 12-08-2017. This is an admitted fact. The petitioners claim that they should be granted the cash price as is granted in earlier year and as is granted to Paralympic participants.”
“They have won medals but no steps were taken to compensate these petitioners for their participation and winning of medals,” the Court remarked.
Consequently, the Court ordered that “the petitioners are entitled to the relief that is sought for…The order passed by the 3rd respondent stands quashed…Mandamus issues to the respondents to grant cash awards to the petitioners as claimed by them in terms of Government Order dated 30-11-2013.”
Accordingly, the High Court allowed the Petition.
Cause Title: CV Rajanna & Ors. v. State of Karnataka & Ors. (WRIT PETITION No.28822 OF 2024)
