Lakshya Sen cleared in birth certificate forgery case as SC quashes FIR

Lakshya Sen cleared in birth certificate forgery case. (PTI Image)

Top Indian shuttler Lakshya Sen and his brother Chirag Sen's legal battle officially ended today when the Supreme Court of India dismissed the formal complaint against them in a 2022 age-forgery case.

The Sen family and Lakshya's coach, Vimal Kumar, were charged in the December 2022 Bengaluru FIR with falsifying official records to lower the players' ages.

A private individual made the accusations, which stated that the purpose of the purported forgery was to gain government benefits and be eligible for age-group competitions. Documents acquired under the Right to Information (RTI) Act served as the foundation for the complaint.

The Karnataka High Court declined to halt the inquiry earlier this year in February 2025, stating that there was enough preliminary evidence to move further. But soon after, the Supreme Court halted all additional proceedings and has since completely annulled the FIR, ending the legal dispute for coach Kumar and the Sen family.

Lakshya Sen was relieved with the ruling: “I respect the Hon’ble Supreme Court’s decision and am thankful that the matter has now been concluded. I had faith in the judiciary and am glad that it has brought clarity. My focus remains on badminton, and I’m committed to continuing my journey with full dedication. I appreciate the support I’ve received from well-wishers during this time.”

The Sen family also added in a joint statement: “This has been a challenging time for our family, but we always believed that the truth would come to light. We’re thankful to the Hon’ble Supreme Court for bringing closure to this matter. Lakshya and Chirag have always let their hard work speak for itself, and with this chapter behind us, our full focus is on supporting them as they continue to grow, compete, and make the country proud.”

Coach Vimal Kumar offered his opinion on the decision as well: “I’m happy that the Supreme Court has brought clarity to this issue. Lakshya has consistently demonstrated great commitment and integrity, and now he can move forward with full focus on his game. I believe he will continue to make the country proud.”

Both Lakshya and Chirag Sen can now focus entirely on training and competition as India prepares for the next international badminton tournaments, as the legal proceedings are now over.