Boxing Federation of India suspends secretary general Pramod Kumar over alleged financial irregularities

The Boxing Federation of India faces a leadership fight. On Tuesday, Oct. 13, BFI president Ajay Singh placed secretary general Pramod Kumar under interim suspension with immediate effect. The order cites alleged financial irregularities, non-cooperation with investigations and misuse of authority.

The suspension came a day after Kumar wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In that letter he accused Singh and BFI Executive Director Col. Arun Malik of "criminal intimidation" meant to stop a no-confidence motion against Singh. Malik dismissed the accusation as "baseless."

What the suspension order says

The order was issued under Clauses 24(xvi) and 24(xxxvi) of the BFI Constitution. It accuses Kumar of "flagrant misuse and abuse of authority," "non-cooperation with and active obstruction of the inquiry processes" and "unexplained instances of financial irregularities and impropriety."

The order lists several specific allegations:

• Issuing a work order for a broadcasting arrangement without the required approval.
• Failing to cooperate with an inquiry into the cancellation of the BFI Elite Men and Women Open Boxing Championships. The event was scheduled for Aug. 16 to 23, 2026, in Nahan, Himachal Pradesh.
• Trying to convene an unauthorised meeting to move a no-confidence motion against the president.
• Issuing notices the order calls "illegal and motivated" in order to intimidate and obstruct an independent inquiry.

The order says it is "an interim protective measure" that "shall not be construed as a final determination of the allegations." It adds that the allegations will be examined under the applicable procedure and that the suspension stays subject to the safeguards and review requirements in the BFI Constitution.

The Pinnacle broadcast dispute

The money allegation centers on Pinnacle Broadcast Productions. According to the order, the federation recently received notices from Pinnacle claiming roughly Rs 1.5 crore for broadcasting at the World Boxing Finals Cup in Greater Noida in November 2025.

The order says Kumar had told Singh, in an earlier letter, that Pinnacle had committed Rs 2 crore toward sponsorship and broadcasting of the event. Per the order, Pinnacle has now "categorically denied making any such commitment," which the BFI says "raises serious doubt as to the authenticity of the letter" that Kumar personally represented Pinnacle had issued.

That is the BFI's account of Pinnacle's position. Pinnacle has not been quoted directly, and nothing in the order is a finding. No charge or complaint to police has been announced.

Kumar's counter-accusations

Kumar's position runs the other way. Before the suspension, he moved a no-confidence motion against Singh on grounds of "total breakdown of trust and serious governance collapse." He has claimed he has the support of state associations for a vote against the president.

In his letter to Modi, he alleged that Singh and Malik used criminal intimidation to block the motion. Malik rejects that.

The BFI's own framing is that Kumar tried to destabilise the organisation. The order says he issued directions and notices without authority, tried to "intimidate and malign senior officials" and circulated "unsubstantiated allegations across the media."

What Kumar is barred from doing

During the suspension Kumar cannot exercise any functions, powers or duties as secretary general. He also cannot issue correspondence, notices or directions in the BFI's name.

The order bars him from interfering with the Inquiry Committee or trying to influence witnesses or officials. It also requires him to hand over documents, records and explanations the committee requests. The BFI warned that any violation would be "viewed seriously."

The structural problem

The person who signed the suspension is the same person the no-confidence motion targets. The order does not mention the motion as the reason beyond listing the attempt to call an unauthorised meeting as a ground, and no source states a motive. The timing, one day after Kumar's letter to the Prime Minister, is a fact, not a finding.

The BFI Constitution is the document that decides whether the president had the power to do this and whether the meeting Kumar sought was valid. Neither question has been answered publicly. Kumar has not shown the signatures or association backing he says he holds, and the BFI has not published the inquiry's findings on the Nahan cancellation.

The Nahan championship was scheduled to run Aug. 16 to 23. The cancellation was last-minute, and the BFI has not said what caused it.

It is unclear whether Kumar will challenge the suspension through the federation's internal process or in court, and whether the Prime Minister's Office will act on his letter. The Inquiry Committee's findings on the broadcast work order and the cancelled championship will decide whether the interim suspension becomes permanent.