Committee of Administrators of football federation moves contempt plea in SC

It seeks action against the body’s former president Praful Patel, several office-bearers of States’ football associations for “interfering with the administration of justice”

The Committee of Administrators (CoA) of the All India Football Federation (AIFF) has moved the Supreme Court seeking contempt of court action against the body’s former president Praful Patel and several office-bearers of States’ football associations for “interfering with the administration of justice” while accusing them of attempting to defeat the purpose of the Supreme Court’s supervision of the football federation through the CoA.

The petition said the court had on August 3 recorded the consensus among the various parties, including States associations, to first conduct the elections to the AIFF in a time-bound fashion and then to finalise the Constitution. India is scheduled to host the Women's Under-27 World Cup in October 2022

The CoA, in its contempt plea represented by senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, said the States associations had attempted to resile the court’s order, but indirectly.

“The evidence enclosed with this contempt petition would show that Mr. Patel, who had been removed as president of the AIFF, consistently abused his position as Council Member of the FIFA to orchestrate a campaign among the State associations to undermine the various steps taken by this court for the betterment of football, including having footballers involved in governance and administration,” the petition alleged.

It narrated that on August 6, the contemnors on behalf of the States associations have participated in meetings conducted by Mr. Patel where “he impliedly admits that letters threatening suspension from the FIFA-AFC have been obtained to ‘help’ them, and that the government is convinced to seek a review of the order [August 3] fearing the worst”.

The CoA said the government had been “misled by the State associations, as have FIFA-AFC who are ignorant of the duplicitous role being played by Mr. Patel”.

“Although many steps have been taken towards the elections, this court-appointed committee seeks that measures be taken [as was done in the BCCI case] to prevent those who endanger Indian football from interfering with the court’s monitoring of the process. Hence, the present contempt petition,” CoA said.