The Supreme Court on Thursday appointed its former judge, Justice L. Nageswara Rao, to ensure that elections to the crisis-ridden Indian Olympic Association (IOA) are held by December 15 and facilitate the drafting of a new constitution for the sports body. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) had earlier told the IOA to resolve the differences among its members and conduct elections by December 15, failing which, it warned, the association would be banned.

“…We request Justice L. Nageswara Rao, former judge of this court, to take the assignment in the interests of ensuring a fair, transparent and developmental approach for the future of Olympic sports in India,” the bench of Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and Justice Hima Kohli said while dictating the order. The court also permitted IOA secretary-general Rajeev Mehta and its vice-president A. Sumariwalla to attend the September 27 IOC meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland.

The two office-bearers were allowed to continue in their posts in view of the forthcoming national games, to be held from September 29 after a gap of over six years.