Lakshya Sen faces legal investigation as Karnataka HC clears age-fraud probe

The Karnataka High Court has allowed an investigation to proceed against Indian badminton player Lakshya Sen, his brother Chirag Sen, their parents, and coach U. Vimal Kumar in an alleged age-fabrication case. A criminal case was registered against them for allegedly falsifying birth certificates to reduce the ages of the Sen brothers.

The case, based on a private complaint by Nagaraja M.G., led to an FIR in December 2022 following a directive from a metropolitan magistrate. The complainant alleged that Lakshya and Chirag's birth years were altered by two-and-a-half years to give them an unfair advantage in junior competitions.

Justice M.G. Uma, while rejecting the petitions seeking to quash the FIR, observed that there was enough material to warrant an investigation. The court stated that when prima facie evidence suggests an offense, the proceedings cannot be halted.

With the stay on the probe lifted, the authorities can now move forward with their investigation into the matter.

“When prima facie materials are placed on record which constitute the offenses, I do not find any reason either to stall the investigation or to quash the initiation of criminal proceedings," the court statement read (via The Hindu).

The complaint was backed by documents acquired through the Right to Information (RTI) Act. Among them was an inquiry report from the Ministry of Youth Affairs, which reportedly implicated Lakshya Sen’s father, Dhirendra K. Sen, in falsifying birth records.

This is not the first time questions have been raised about the ages of the Sen brothers. In 2016, Chirag Sen was suspended by the Badminton Association of India (BAI) for discrepancies in his birth records. One set of documents listed his birth year as 1998, while another, used for junior competitions, showed it as 2005.

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What was Lakshya Sen’s defense?

Lakshya Sen, Chirag, and their family have denied any wrongdoing, calling the allegations baseless and motivated. They pointed out that in 2018, the Central Vigilance Commission had accepted the birth records submitted by Dhirendra K. Sen and found no grounds for action.

The petitioners also suggested that the complaint was filed due to personal grievances. According to them, Nagaraja M.G. was frustrated after his daughter failed to secure admission to the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy in 2020.

The High Court observed that the petitioners had repeatedly delayed the hearing, failing to present their arguments despite multiple opportunities since December 2024. With the case on hold for more than two years, the court refused to grant further extensions, allowing the probe to continue.

Now, the investigating authorities will examine the claims and supporting documents to determine if any fraudulent activity took place. If proven, the case could have significant consequences for the players involved.