The Gauhati High Court held that Australian arm-wrestler Ryan Thomas Bowen cannot undertake activities beyond the scope of his e-tourist visa and has held that the competent authorities are free to take appropriate action, including cancellation of his visa, if he is found violating the applicable visa conditions.
While declining to grant interim relief restraining Bowen from participating in the upcoming Eliza Cup in Guwahati, the Court made it clear that the pendency of the proceedings would not prevent authorities from enforcing immigration laws.
Justice Mridul Kumar Kalita was hearing an interlocutory application filed by the People’s Armwrestling Federation of India (PAFI) seeking a temporary injunction restraining Bowen from publishing content relating to the Federation and pending court proceedings, as well as from organising, conducting or participating in the Eliza Cup scheduled to be held in Guwahati on July 5, 2026.
PAFI submitted that it had challenged a trial court order which had stayed the Federation’s directive prohibiting its affiliated associations, clubs and athletes from associating with Bowen. The Federation further argued that the respondent had been placed by the World Armwrestling Federation (WAF) on its list of individuals “not in good standing” and that a coordinate Bench of the High Court had already stayed the trial court’s interim order, thereby reviving the suspension.
The Federation submitted that the respondent, an Australian national residing in India on an e-tourist visa, was violating visa conditions by organising and promoting the Eliza Cup, investing ₹35 lakh in the event, and posting allegedly misleading content on Instagram regarding the pending litigation. It sought directions restraining him from continuing such activities.
Appearing for the respondent, senior counsel K.N. Choudhury sought time to file a written objection and argued that the Eliza Cup was being organised by Pound for Pound Private Limited and Ms. Chetna Sharma, neither of whom had been impleaded as parties, and therefore no injunction could be granted against them.
Accepting this contention at the interim stage, the Court observed that there was no material to indicate that the names of either PAFI or the World Armwrestling Federation had been misused for organising the Eliza Cup. The Court noted:
“
“There are no materials on record to suggest that name of the applicant federation or that of World Armwrestling Federation has been used for conduct of the Eliza Cup… There is also no indication that the organizers have misused the names of the aforementioned federations.”
Since the organisers were not parties to the proceedings, the Court held that they could not be restrained from conducting the event at this stage. However, the Bench made it clear that the pendency of the litigation would not prevent authorities from acting if the respondent was found violating the terms of his e-tourist visa. Observing that an e-tourist visa permits only activities such as recreation, sightseeing, meeting friends and relatives, or attending short-term yoga programmes, the Court held:
“
“In the event the respondent (Ryan Thomas Bowen) is found engaging in any kind of activities which is in violation of the general policy guidelines relating to Indian visa, the concerned authorities may take appropriate action against him, including the cancellation of his e-visa, as per relevant laws and rules. The pendency of this case shall not be a bar for the concerned authorities from taking appropriate action.”
The Court issued notice on the application, permitted the respondent to file his written objection, and directed that the matter be listed along with the connected appeal on July 13, 2026.
