Indian football in a mess! AIFF President Chaubey, treasurer Kipa accused of financial corruption; Bhutia demands their resignation
After General Secretary Shaji Prabhakaran was formally sacked by the AIFF on January 30, executive committee member Bhaichung Bhutia demanded the removal of President Kalyan Chaubey and Treasurer Ajay Kipa over allegations of financial corruption.
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New Delhi, Feb 1: The administration accountable for Indian football team - All India Football Federation - has been involved in a controversy. This came after General Secretary Shaji Prabhakaran was formally sacked by the All India Football Federation on January 30 with executive committee member Bhaichung Bhutia demanding the removal of President Kalyan Chaubey and Treasurer Ajay Kipa over allegations of financial corruption.
But his sacking was approved in the latest executive meeting in which Shaji was allowed to attend the meeting online as he sought clarification on the breach for which he was sacked though no clarification was offered to him.
The Goa Football Association president Caitano Fernandes has written a letter to All India Football Federation (AIFF) president Kalyan Chaubey in which he questioned the approval process for the audited accounts of the last financial year. He also questioned that such crucial financial matters should be presented and discussed during the Annual General Meeting (AGM) before being approved for use.
Expressing concern over the delay in organizing the AIFF AGM since December 2023, Caitano has asked other member associations not to overlook essential statutory obligations such as holding the AGM. The letter also stated that the horrible performance of the Indian men's senior national team at the Asian Cup 2023 should be included in the agenda of the AGM.
Apart from him, former Andhra Pradesh Football Association president Gopalakrishna Kosaraju has accused AIFF officials, including president Chaubey and treasurer Ajay Kipa, of misusing federation funds. Allegations include spa visits, fuel expenses in Kipa's hometown, and hotel bills in Nagpur, supported by attached bills. Kosaraju claims they used AIFF credit cards for personal purchases, like Chaubey's extravagant shoe acquisition. Such claims will ruin the reputation of the football federation.
Why was Shaji Prabhakaran sacked?
On November 7, Prabhakaran was dismissed by an AIFF emergency committeefor “breach of trust”, the decision being ratified at an executive committee meeting two days later. However, this issue was moved to Delhi High Court. A single bench of the Delhi High Court had on December 8 ordered an interim stay on his sacking. In its latest order of January 19, the High Court pointed out that Prabhakaran was dismissed by the emergency committee of the AIFF whereas the federation's constitution provides that only the executive committee has the power to do that.
But his sacking was approved in the latest executive meeting in which Shaji was allowed to attend the meeting online as he sought clarification on the breach for which he was sacked though no clarification was offered to him.
But why is Bhutia asking for resignation of Kalyan Chaubey & Kipa too?
Former captain Bhaichung Bhutia, who attended Tuesday's executive committee meeting of the AIFF, said, "I told the executive committee members that Kalyan Chaubey and treasurer Kipa Ajay should also resign. Shaji Prabhakaran should not be made the only scapegoat. All three of them are equally responsible for making decisions without the approval of executive committee."
"All three of them were taking the decisions and If Shaji has to be removed, the president and treasurer should also be removed. Indian football is in mess, there are politics in the sport, cutting out each other after little over one year of taking charge, it is not good. The national team has been left in the lurch during the Hangzhou Asian Games as well as in the Asian Cup."
Bhutia, who lost in the AIFF presidential poll in 2022, also claimed that he did not know what constituted the "breach of trust" that led to Prabhakaran's dismissal. "I am an executive committee member but I don't know what was the breach of trust Shaji had committed. I am not told nor briefed about it."
Talking about the Indian team's group stage exit in the AFC Asian Cup in Doha, Bhutia said, "Asian Games and Asian Cup are the two most important tournaments for India and both were disasters, not due to players or coach but because of the AIFF top brass. In the Asian Games, the team played its first match just a few hours after landing in Hangzhou. In the AFC, the team was not given adequate training time."
How did the alleged financial corruption come to light?
The Goa Football Association president Caitano Fernandes has written a letter to All India Football Federation (AIFF) president Kalyan Chaubey in which he questioned the approval process for the audited accounts of the last financial year. He also questioned that such crucial financial matters should be presented and discussed during the Annual General Meeting (AGM) before being approved for use.
Expressing concern over the delay in organizing the AIFF AGM since December 2023, Caitano has asked other member associations not to overlook essential statutory obligations such as holding the AGM. The letter also stated that the horrible performance of the Indian men's senior national team at the Asian Cup 2023 should be included in the agenda of the AGM.
Apart from him, former Andhra Pradesh Football Association president Gopalakrishna Kosaraju has accused AIFF officials, including president Chaubey and treasurer Ajay Kipa, of misusing federation funds. Allegations include spa visits, fuel expenses in Kipa's hometown, and hotel bills in Nagpur, supported by attached bills. Kosaraju claims they used AIFF credit cards for personal purchases, like Chaubey's extravagant shoe acquisition. Such claims will ruin the reputation of the football federation.
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