Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Friday sought the personal appearance of the senior officials of the national federation and a Kerala-based association of cycle polo in connection with a plea blaming them for death of a 10-year-old Kerala player.

The player died due to food poisoning in Nagpur where she had gone to take part in a national championship of the sport.

Justice V G Arun sought the personal appearance of the secretary of the Cycle Polo Federation of India and office-bearers of the Cycle Polo Association of Kerala on January 12, 2023 the next date of hearing of the matter.

The order was confirmed by advocate Santhan V Nair who appeared for the Kerala Cycle Polo Association which moved the plea seeking contempt action against both the sports bodies for alleged violation of high court's direction of December 15 permitting teams selected by it to take part in the national championship.

"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 has said.

It has 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.

The court also issued notice to the two sports bodies on the plea moved by the Kerala Cycle Polo Association alleging 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 federation.

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 has 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 has alleged.

It has 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 has claimed.

It has 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 has 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 has claimed.

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.

PTI