The Karnataka High Court has permitted the continuation of an investigation against Indian badminton star Lakshya Sen, his brother Chirag Sen, their parents, and coach U. Vimal Kumar over allegations of age fabrication.

Justice M.G. Uma dismissed petitions seeking to quash the case, stating that there was sufficient prima facie evidence to warrant an inquiry.

“When prima facie materials are placed on record which constitute the offenses, I do not find any reason either to stall the investigation or to quash the initiation of criminal proceedings,” the court observed.

The case originated from a private complaint filed by Nagaraja M.G., which led to an FIR in December 2022. It alleges that the Sen brothers’ birth certificates were falsified by their parents and coach to make them eligible for junior badminton tournaments since 2010. Documents obtained through the Right to Information (RTI) Act were cited as evidence.

Lakshya’s father, Dhirendra K. Sen, a former Sports Authority of India (SAI) coach, and mother, Nirmala D. Sen, are also named in the complaint. The complainant claims that a Ministry of Youth Affairs inquiry previously found Dhirendra guilty of manipulating records.

However, the petitioners dismissed the allegations as baseless, suggesting they stemmed from personal grievances.

They argue that the issue was resolved in 2018 when the Central Vigilance Commission accepted their birth records and found no grounds for action. They also claim the complaint was motivated by Mr. Nagaraja’s frustration over his daughter’s failure to secure admission to the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy in 2020.

The High Court noted that the petitioners’ lawyer failed to argue the case despite multiple opportunities since December 2024. The court declined further adjournments, pointing out that the accused had benefited from a stay on the investigation since 2022.

With the court’s ruling, the investigation is set to resume, bringing renewed scrutiny to one of India’s top badminton players and his family.