Praful Patel removed from All India Football Federation committee on Supreme Court's order

All India Football Federation president Praful Patel has been removed from the post after Supreme Court reconstituted the committee of administrators (CoA), which will be headed by former apex court Judge A.R. Dave to manage the affairs of the All India Football Federation (AIFF).

The Supreme Court on Wednesday (May18) reconstituted the committee of administrators (CoA), which will be headed by former apex court Judge A.R. Dave to manage the affairs of the All India Football Federation (AIFF).

The CoA will also facilitate the adoption of AIFF constitution in line with the National Sports Code and model guidelines.

A bench of Justices D.Y. Chandrachud, Surya Kant and P.S. Narasimha said the CoA will comprise Justice Dave, Dr S.Y. Qureshi, former Chief Election Commissioner, and Bhaskar Ganguly, former captain of the Indian Football Team.

Thanks you all involved in removing Praful Patel from the post.#Indianfootball #AIFF
Come on India

— rajesh (@rgrajesh26) May 18, 2022

The bench said the CoA will assist the court in facilitating the adoption of the constitution by the AIFF in accordance with the National Sports Code and model guidelines. It added that newly constituted CoA would sit in Football House at Dwarka or any other place of convenience.

The top court said the committee will see day-to-day affairs of the AIFF, after noting that the current state of affairs is not in the interest of proper governance of the federation. Advocate Samar Bansal represented the CoA, which earlier comprised Qureshi and Ganguly, before the top court. The top court directed the CoA to forthwith take charge of the AIFF.

The bench said the CoA will prepare electoral rolls to conduct the elections to the executive committee of AIFF, in accordance with the constitution which was submitted by the two-member committee (ombudsman) comprising Qureshi and Ganguly.

The bench made it clear that the CoA could seek assistance of the erstwhile committee of the federation for holding of tournaments and selection of players and other affairs of the federation.

The top court emphasized that this is pro-tem arrangement to facilitate elections and also handing day-to-day governance of the federation to the democratically elected body, as per the constitution.

The apex court on May 12, agreed to examine a plea of the Delhi Football Club alleging the illegal continuation of a committee and Praful Patel as president of AIFF for over a decade.

Earlier, the sports ministry had informed the top court that AIFF president Patel has no mandate to run the sport body, as he has served his three terms as president and the national body should hold elections without further delay.

The ministry's reply came in connection with the special leave petition (SLP) in which lawyer Rahul Mehra is one of the respondents along with the Union of India.

With IANS inputs