Bhullar calls PGTI suspension “illegal”, says move aimed at blocking DP World India entry

New Delhi, Sep 25 (PTI) Gaganjeet Bhullar has questioned the Professional Golf Tour of India’s decision to suspend him, calling it “illegal, unauthorised and mala fide” and alleging that the move was deliberately timed to bar 17 players from competing in the DP World India Tournament next month.

Bhullar is one of the 17 golfers issued show cause notices for featuring in the Yuvraj Singh-backed league earlier this month.

“There appears to be a concerted attempt… to suspend the 17 members immediately so as to render them ineligible to participate in the DP World India Tournament scheduled from 16th–19th October 2025, for which entries close on 25th September 2025,” Bhullar wrote in a detailed letter to PGTI's Governing body, a copy of which is with PTI.

The 11-time Asian Tour winner warned that any denial of his entry would leave him no choice but to take the legal route.

“Any failure by the Governing Body to consider the undersigned will constrain him to initiate necessary action in law and to claim damages for the illegal actions and humiliation that he has been subjected to,” he added.

Besides Bhullar, Aman Raj, Harendra Gupta, Karandeep Kochhar and Sachin Baisoya are some of the other players who have been hit by the action for featuring in the IGPL at Jaypee Greens, Greater Noida, from September 17–19.

It clashed with PGTI's Chennai Open, which has become a point of contention.

Bhullar questioned the very authority of the Disciplinary Action Committee (DAC) to impose immediate suspensions without a hearing.

"I am in receipt of Email dated 20.09.2025 issued by the Disciplinary Accounts Committee (DAC), whereby I have been illegally and unauthorisedly ‘suspended’ with immediate effect pending enquiry.

"There is no authority or power conferred upon the DAC to pass any interim order of suspension as has been done in its email dated 20.09.2025," he said, arguing that penalties can only follow an “established breach” after a hearing under Regulation 1.3 of the PGTI Handbook.

"Besides the illegality of the decision, no document or minutes of the DAC have been shared which show any deliberation, discussion, consideration or reasoning for passing the impugned order of suspension. It is evident that the arbitrary decision has been pre-meditated and taken on account of vested interests and mala fides," he added.

The 36-year-old also alleged double standards, pointing out that several leading golfers — including PGTI president Kapil Dev, Governing Body members, and even DAC members — had played the Trinity Golf Champions League in Pune (September 1–6), which clashed with the PGTI NexGen event in Patna, without permission.

“No embargo, prohibition or disciplinary action was imposed upon those members. The very reasons and the alleged breach now being attributed to the undersigned are equally applicable to those players who played in the TGCL event hosted by the President of PGTI,” he wrote.

Bhullar further alleged that the Governing Body itself is “illegally constituted” in violation of its Memorandum of Association.

"Rule 13 of the MOA (Tenure of the Governing Body), which categorically mandates that no member shall hold office for more than two consecutive terms in any position of the Governing Body, and that after serving two terms, a mandatory cooling-off period of two years is required before such member can be re-elected or re-appointed," he wrote.

"The present constitution of the Governing Body is in direct violation of these tenure prescriptions, which reflects gross mismanagement and selective application of rules," Bhullar added, calling for an Extraordinary General Body Meeting to constitute a valid Governing Body and review the tenability of Regulation 1.10, which bars players from participating in conflicting events. PTI ATK TAP