Plea in Kerala HC blames two cycle polo sporting bodies for 10-year old player's death

A plea moved in the Kerala High Court on Friday blamed the national federation and a Kerala-based association of cycle polo for the death of a 10-year old Kerala player who died due to food poisoning in Nagpur where she had gone to take part in a national championship of the sport.

In its plea, the Kerala Cycle Polo Association claimed that its team was permitted by the high court to participate in the sporting event at Nagpur in Maharashtra, but when its players -- including 10-year-old Fathima Nida Shihabuddin -- reached the venue, they were not provided food or lodging by the Cycle Polo Federation of India.

As a result, the players had to be accommodated in a local dormitory and the young girl got afflicted with food poisoning and died on Thursday morning, the petitioner association said in its contempt plea filed through advocate Santhan V Nair.

''It is the specific case of the petitioner (Kerala Cycle Polo Association) that the respondents herein (Cycle Polo Federation of India and the Cycle Polo Association of Kerala) are responsible for the death of the player,'' the contempt plea alleged.

The petitioner association is seeking contempt action against both sports bodies for alleged violation of the high court's December 15 order permitting teams or players selected by it to participate in the national-level event at Nagpur.

It claimed that when it arrived at the venue, the officials of the federation initially declined to allow them to participate and only after intervention of the Sports Ministry were the players selected by the petitioner permitted to take part.

However, the officials made it clear that they would not provide them with food and accommodation, the plea claimed.

It also claimed that food and accommodation was provided to the teams and players of the Cycle Polo Association of Kerala, which unlike the petitioners was not recognised by the Sports Council of the southern state.

It also alleged that when the championship commenced from December 22, entry forms were not collected from it and neither were its players permitted to participate.

On the other hand, the teams and players of Cycle Polo Association of Kerala were allowed to participate, the plea claimed.

''The petitioner begs to point out that the respondents herein have committed gross contempt of this court by not permitting the teams sponsored by the petitioner association to participate in the national championship.

''They have committed further contempt of court by permitting the teams sponsored by the 2nd respondent (Cycle Polo Association of Kerala) to participate in the championship,'' it said.

It further contended that the high court orders were also violated by recognising teams sponsored by the 2nd respondent as the official team representing Kerala and by not providing food, transportation and accommodation to the teams sponsored by the petitioner association.

According to police, Fathima Nida Shihabuddin's medico-legal case was received from Shrikrishna Hospital. She had gone there with the complaint of stomach ache and died five minutes after being administered an injection.