# Delhi High Court Disposes of Contempt Petition Against AITA Officials

Court mandates transparency as AITA prepares for upcoming governing body elections in November.

- **Source:** [Sportstar](https://sportstar.thehindu.com)
- **Published:** 2026-11-10
- **Topic:** [politics](https://brifing.si/c/politics)
- **Original article:** <https://sportstar.thehindu.com/tennis/delhi-high-court-disposes-off-contempt-petition-aita-elections-somdev-devvarman-purav-raja/article71687338.ece>
- **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/18abe687-eeb1-4beb-b692-056f271f2c98

## Contempt Petition Resolved

The Delhi High Court disposed of a contempt petition filed by players Somdev Devvarman and Purav Raja against the All India Tennis Association. The interim office-bearers secured this outcome by providing a formal undertaking to supply all information requested by administrator Justice Gita Mittal until her tenure concludes on November 27.

## Administrator Tenure Oversight

Justice Gita Mittal continues her role as the court-mandated administrator overseeing the association's financial affairs. The court confirmed that the current interim leadership must remain fully cooperative with her office. This oversight is critical as the organization transitions toward a new governing body following the upcoming scheduled elections later this month.

## Corruption Allegations Deferred

Regarding requests to implead the AITA Trust and the Delhi Lawn Tennis Association over corruption allegations, the court opted for a measured approach. It suggested that these serious matters should be probed by the new AITA body taking charge after the elections, while keeping the option to re-engage Justice Mittal if necessary.

## Financial Supervision Mandate

In a report submitted on September 14, Justice Mittal highlighted that supervising the AITA Trust is a necessary obligation. She noted that the association had previously assigned and abdicated all its functions, properties, and income to the Trust. This structural arrangement remains a central focus of the ongoing judicial and administrative scrutiny.

## Upcoming Election Schedule

Elections under the amended AITA Constitution are officially set for November 27. The process begins on November 14 with the filing of nominations for both the Executive Committee and the Athletes Committee. These polls represent a significant shift in the governance structure of the national tennis body following recent legal interventions.

## Governance Reform Progress

The transition process is being conducted in alignment with the National Sports Governance Act. All actions taken to amend the constitution and organize these elections remain subject to the final outcome of the ongoing court case. The judiciary maintains a supervisory role to ensure compliance with national sports standards and transparency.

## Future Judicial Review

The Delhi High Court has scheduled the next hearing for this matter on January 22, 2027. This future date allows the court to assess the results of the upcoming elections and the subsequent actions taken by the newly elected governing body regarding the outstanding financial and structural concerns raised by the administrator.

## Institutional Accountability Impact

This legal development underscores the judiciary's commitment to enforcing accountability within national sports federations. By mandating transparency and deferring complex corruption probes to the incoming leadership, the court aims to stabilize the AITA. The outcome of these proceedings will likely set a precedent for how sports bodies manage their internal trusts.

## Sources covering this story

- https://sportstar.thehindu.com/tennis/delhi-high-court-disposes-off-contempt-petition-aita-elections-somdev-devvarman-purav-raja/article71687338.ece — 

---

_Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._
