Lakshya Sen’s age fraud controversy explained — Here’s what we know

Lakshya Sen’s age fraud controversy explained — Here’s what we know

The Karnataka High Court has permitted the investigation against Indian badminton player Lakshya Sen, his brother Chirag Sen, their parents, and a coach in an alleged age-fabrication case. Here’s a breakdown of the key details.

A criminal case was registered against Lakshya Sen, his brother Chirag Sen, their father Dhirendra K. Sen, mother Nirmala D. Sen, and coach U. Vimal Kumar on allegations of fabricating the birth certificates of the Sen brothers. It was alleged that their ages were lowered by two-and-a-half years to allow them to compete in junior badminton tournaments.

The case was based on a private complaint filed by Nagaraja M.G., which led to an FIR being registered in December 2022 following a directive from a metropolitan magistrate.

Justice M.G. Uma, while dismissing the petitions seeking to quash the FIR, stated:

“When prima facie materials are placed on record which constitute the offences, I do not find any reason either to stall the investigation or to quash the initiation of criminal proceedings.”

The complainant submitted documents obtained through the Right to Information (RTI) Act, including an inquiry report by the Ministry of Youth Affairs, which allegedly found Lakshya’s father guilty of fabricating records.

The petitioners claimed that the allegations were baseless and aimed at humiliating them. They argued that the issue was previously closed after the Central Vigilance Commission in 2018 accepted the birth records submitted by Dhirendra K. Sen and found no need for action. They also alleged that the complaint stemmed from Nagaraja’s frustration over his daughter not qualifying for the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy in 2020.

The court noted that the petitioners’ advocate had repeatedly sought time to present arguments but failed to do so despite multiple opportunities since December 2024. With the police and complainant’s lawyer pointing out that the stay on the investigation had been in place since 2022, the court declined further delays and allowed the probe to continue.

In 2016, the Badminton Association of India (BAI) suspended Chirag for committing age fraud. While one document listed his birth year as 1998, he was competing in junior tournaments using a birth certificate that stated he was born in 2005.  

With the stay lifted, the investigation into the allegations against Lakshya and the others will now proceed.