Court Refuses to Entertain PIL Asking for Bangladesh’s Exclusion from T20 World Cup
The Delhi High Court has dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that sought to ban Bangladesh from participating in international cricket tournaments, including the upcoming T20 World Cup.
A Division Bench led by Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia termed the petition frivolous and made it clear that courts cannot interfere in matters related to foreign affairs or international sporting participation.
The PIL was filed by a law student, Devyani Singh, alleging violence against the Hindu community in Bangladesh and seeking directions to prevent the country from taking part in international cricket events. The petition also asked for Bangladesh’s exclusion from the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, which is scheduled to be jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka.
The Court firmly stated that no writ can be issued to bodies such as the Board of Control for Cricket in India, the International Cricket Council, or even the Union Government on how to manage foreign relations.
Questioning the very basis of the petition, the Bench remarked that policy decisions related to international diplomacy fall strictly within the domain of the Ministry of External Affairs and not the judiciary. The Court also expressed concern over the petitioner’s request for the Court to conduct inquiries in another sovereign country.
The Bench warned the petitioner that exemplary costs could be imposed for filing such a plea. It also criticised the petitioner’s counsel for relying on unrelated judgments, including one from a Pakistan court, stating that Indian courts do not follow the same legal framework.
After these observations, the petitioner’s lawyer, Pulkit Prakash, sought permission to withdraw the PIL. Accepting the request, the Court dismissed the petition as withdrawn.
Before concluding, the Bench advised the petitioner to focus on more constructive public causes, observing that there are many genuine issues that require judicial attention.
