The petitioner challenged a communication issued by Hockey India on January 6, 2020, which effectively withdrew the Vidarbha Hockey Association's membership, instructing it to coordinate its activities through the state-level Hockey Maharashtra Association . The petitioner argued that it sought to represent the interests of hockey players in Vidarbha and Marathwada and was not seeking voting rights but merely the ability to advocate for these athletes.
The court, presided over by Justices Nitin Sambre and Abhay J. Mantri, determined that the decision by Hockey India was consistent with the Indian Olympic Association's constitution and that the court could not interfere in such policy decisions unless there was evidence of bad faith. The court noted that the Vidarbha Hockey Association did not have an absolute right to exist independently of the state-level body and suggested that the petitioner could apply for membership with Hockey Maharashtra. The writ petition was dismissed, but the court granted the Vidarbha Hockey Association the liberty to approach Hockey Maharashtra for membership, with an expectation that the state association would handle the application according to its constitution
The petitioner was represented by Advocate Anand Parchure, while the respondents were defended by Advocate S.P. Bhandarkar (for Hockey India) and A.M. Sudame (for Hockey Maharashtra), and other counsels.