New Delhi, 19 June (H.S.): The Badminton Association of India (BAI) has approached the Delhi High Court, describing as fabricated and false reports that claimed dozens of judges had participated in a badminton tournament in London. The Association has sought the removal of the allegedly fake reports. The High Court has directed that the petition be taken up for hearing later this afternoon.

Appearing for the BAI, advocate Apoorv Kurup sought an urgent hearing on the petition on Friday. Kurup submitted that reports claiming dozens of judges had travelled to London to participate in a badminton tournament had gone viral on social media, bringing the sport into disrepute.

During the mentioning of the matter, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed the court that he had already received an advance copy of the petition. He said the fake news relating to the matter was spreading at an alarming pace across social media platforms.

The viral social media posts claimed that Chief Justice Surya Kant, along with some Union Ministers and nearly 75 judges from across the country, had travelled to London to participate in a badminton tournament. The posts further alleged that the entire event was financed with taxpayers' money.

The viral claims led to questions being raised about the independence and impartiality of the Indian judiciary, with several social media users also casting doubts on the integrity of the judges allegedly involved in the tournament.

However, the government's Fact Check Unit rejected the claims, stating that reports alleging Union Ministers Arjun Meghwal and Kiren Rijiju had travelled to London to participate in the badminton tournament were false. The Fact Check Unit clarified that the photographs circulated on social media were actually taken at Delhi's Thyagaraj Stadium in 2025 and not in London.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar