Srinagar, July 29, KDC: The Supreme Court of India has dismissed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) filed by the Jammu and Kashmir administration challenging the High Court’s decision to quash an Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) case against international water sports figure Bilquis Mir.
A Bench comprising Justice Aravind Kumar and Justice Vipul M. Pancholi declined to entertain the petition filed by the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, effectively bringing an end to the prolonged legal battle surrounding her appointment and promotions in the J&K Sports Council.
The order was passed in Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir v. Bilquis Mir (SLP (Crl) Diary No. 37411/2026), wherein the Apex Court condoned the delay in filing but found no merit to interfere with the High Court’s findings.
“Delay condoned. Having heard learned counsel appearing for the petitioner, we are not inclined to entertain this petition. Hence, the special leave petition stands dismissed,” the Division Bench ordered.
The Supreme Court’s dismissal affirms the July 25, 2025 judgment delivered by Justice Sanjay Dhar of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. The High Court had quashed FIR No. 2023 registered by the ACB against Bilquis Mir under Sections 5(1)(d) and 5(2) of the J&K Prevention of Corruption Act read with Section 120-B of the Ranbir Penal Code (RPC).
The case originated from allegations that Bilquis Mir, presently serving as Executive Director of the Water Sports Centre at the J&K Sports Council, had been appointed as a Physical Education Teacher (PET) without meeting requisite technical qualifications and had failed to complete a Bachelor in Physical Education (B.P.Ed) course during her probation.
In its verdict, the High Court had termed the probe a “witch-hunt” launched by vested interests and questioned the criminalization of technical qualification procedural lapses regarding an athlete who brought global laurels to the nation.
Justice Dhar had further noted with alarm that the probe agency went to the extent of scrutinizing whether her university graduate examination answer scripts were properly evaluated, describing the approach as an effort to wreak vengeance.
Bilquis Mir, widely recognized as Kashmir’s “aqua woman,” made history in 2024 by becoming the first Indian woman appointed to the jury panel at the Paris Olympic Games for Kayaking and Canoeing, following her earlier role as a jury member at the Hangzhou Asian Games.
With the Apex Court refusing to reopen the proceedings, the judicial quashing of the ACB case stands final.
In the Supreme Court proceedings, Advocate-on-Record Pashupathi Nath Razdan, along with advocates Maitreyee Jagat Joshi and Akanksha Tomar, appeared for the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. (KDC)
