Kolhapur: The Bombay high court’s Kolhapur bench on Tuesday asked the counsel for the state govt to seek instructions from the chief minister on initiating a fresh process for conferring a Padma award (posthumously) on wrestling legend late Khashaba Jadhav, India’s first individual Olympic medalist. This was after the counsel for the central govt told HC that a fresh online self-nomination plea ought to be filed during the March 15-to-July 31 window, which can be considered by the Padma Awards Committee for the 2026 awards to be announced on the eve of the Republic Day of 2027.When the bench of Justice Madhav Jamdar and Justice Pravin Patil asked advocate Sangram Desai, representing Khashaba’s son, Ranjeet, whether it was not possible to file a fresh nomination, Desai submitted that asking for a fresh nomination “would be an insult” considering that such applications were made seven to eight times before to the Padma Awards Committee and there is no clarity as to why they were not considered. He submitted that Ranjeet Jadhav has moved from pillar to post to get the honour for his father. “From chief ministers to central minister, MPs and even Olympians have recommended the honour for Khashaba Jadhav. Why it was not considered then,” Desai asked.Khashaba, who passed away in 1984, had won a bronze medal at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics and it was only 44 years later that an individual Olympic medal feat was repeated by an Indian athlete when tennis player Leander Paes won a bronze in Olympics. His son, Ranjeet, founded the Kusteeveer Khashaba Jadhav Foundation through which the PIL has been filed before the HC seeking a ‘Padma Vibhushan (posthumous)’ Award for the legendary wrestler.On April 15, the HC had directed the Union of India to take an appropriate decision on or before May 4 on conferring the Padma award on Khashaba Jadhav as has been prayed for in the PIL. Advocate Vijay Killedar, appearing for the Union of India, submitted, “Let them apply afresh as no application has been filed yet during the ongoing March 15 to July 31window for self-nomination process.”Killedar explained the selection guidelines and procedure for the Padma awards, stating that once a recommendation is made by anyone, it goes through Padma Awards Committee, which is under union home ministry, and then the Prime Minister sends the nominations to President of India for final approval.Justice Jamdar noted that if the nomination is accepted then it will be for year 2026 and to be conferred on the eve of Republic Day next year. “Take instructions from CM,” the bench told assistant govt pleader TJ Kapre.
