Accusations of internal sabotage, power abuse, and unauthorized sharing of national sports documents with a Pakistani actor place Deepa Malik in the spotlight amid legal and public scrutiny.
BY PC Bureau
New Delhi – May 5, 2025: The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS) is facing mounting pressure to address serious allegations of collusion between former Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) President Deepa Malik and Pakistani actors, aimed at undermining India’s representation within the Asian Paralympic Committee (APC). The controversy revolves around the removal of Gursharan Singh, the democratically elected Indian Sub-region representative to the APC, and MYAS’s conspicuous silence on the matter despite a High Court order.
Gursharan Singh, the former President / Secretary General of the PCI and known to be backbone of India’s Paralympic Movement for last 14 years , was compelled to file a writ petition (W.P.(C) 16241/2024) in the Delhi High Court after his detailed representation dated August 22, 2024, to MYAS and PCI regarding the alleged wrongdoing went unanswered. This legal action has brought to the forefront accusations of “internal sabotage, procedural violations, and collusion with a Pakistani national, Imran Jamil Shami,” directly implicating Deepa Malik.
According to a press release issued by Singh’s legal counsel, his valid election to the APC, backed by the PCI’s CEO and in full compliance with procedural norms, was unjustly targeted. The press release alleges that a “malicious complaint” was lodged as a result of a collaborative effort between Malik and Shami. The press release quotes Shami’s statement of case before the APC, where he reportedly stated that his complaint was based on information from the PCI President, implying her lack of approval for Shri Singh’s nomination:
“The above statement of the President (PCI) led me to lodge the subject complaint and to request for an inquiry since nomination of Mr. Gursharan Singh to contest election for the position of South Asia Representative to the Board of Executives was neither approved by the President (PCI) nor by the Executive Committee / BOG of PCI and there was ‘NO’ CEO on the strength of PCI,” the release said.
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The press release further details allegations that Malik’s misuse of her authority as President were fueled by her “power greed” and a blatant disregard for India’s sporting prestige by colluding with Pakistani who got democratically defeated by Gursharan Singh . It’s claimed that she unlawfully shared internal PCI documents with third parties, including Pakistani nationals, to facilitate her alleged scheme to seize the APC Sub-Regional Representative post without a legitimate election, a position she purportedly continues to hold.
Taking cognizance of the gravity of these allegations, the Delhi High Court, in an order dated November 22, 2024, directed MYAS to take a decision on Shri Singh’s representation within six weeks. The court’s order, as documented in the provided PDF, explicitly sought a directive for MYAS and PCI to “expeditiously and in a time bound manner consider and decide the representation(s) dated 22.08.2024 submitted by the Petitioner concerning the alleged illegal appointment of Respondent No.3/Deepa Malik as the Sub-Regional Representative in APC, while duly addressing and resolving all legal and factual contentions raised therein.”
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The court further noted the submission from the Central Government Standing Counsel that a response would be communicated within this timeframe.
Despite this clear judicial directive and a subsequent representation from Shri Singh on November 29, 2024, MYAS has failed to issue a decision. This apparent disregard for the High Court’s order has led Singh to file a Contempt Petition (CONT. CAS (C) 145/2025), which is scheduled for a hearing on July 9, 2025.
While MYAS finally conducted a hearing on April 25, 2025, involving both i Gursharan Singh and Deepa Malik, no order or outcome has been publicly disclosed. This protracted silence from the nodal sports body, particularly in light of the serious accusations of collusion with a Pakistani national and the direct instructions from the High Court, raises significant concerns about transparency and accountability within India’s sports governance. The alleged admission by Shami, as highlighted in the press release, further intensifies the scrutiny on Malik’s actions and the reasons behind MYAS’s apparent reluctance to intervene decisively despite court order is not understandable
