MP High Court stays conferment of top sports award to mountaineer

The Madhya Pradesh High Court on Tuesday granted temporary stay to the conferment of the Vikram Award for 2023 in adventure sports category to mountaineer Bhavna Dehariya on a petition filed by another senior climber, Madhusudan Patidar.

Justice Pranay Verma of the Indore bench of the High Court passed the order hours before the state government's Shikhar Khel Alankaran ceremony was to be held in Bhopal.

Dehariya was to be given the award, the top sports honour of the Madhya Pradesh government, at the function. Patidar, a resident of Indore, claimed in his petition that the award in the category of adventure sports should have been given to him on the basis of seniority, as per the rules.

The HC issued a notice to the state government and Dehariya, seeking a reply within four weeks.

The judge ordered the government not to award Dehariya the award till the next hearing, likely to be held on September 17.

Every year, 12 senior players who have excelled in different sports are awarded the Vikram Award which comprises Rs 2 lakh and a memento.

Award-winners are also given government jobs.

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