AIFF Asks Ranjit Bajaj To Furnish Evidence Over Allegations Against Top Official

An under-pressure All India Football Federation on Thursday asked entrepreneur Ranjit Bajaj to substantiate his allegation of molestation of women employees against general secretary Kushal Das with "proper documentary evidence" within 15 days. The decision to ask evidence from Bajaj was taken at an executive committee meeting here after the AIFF was put under immense pressure on several fronts, including the charges against Das as well as its refusal to hold elections even after the end of tenure of the current dispensation.

"...it has been unanimously decided that the AIFF write a letter to Mr. Ranjit Bajaj to substantiate his aspersions and allegations against Mr. Kushal Das, General Secretary, AIFF, with proper documentary evidence within fifteen (15) days, failing which the AIFF shall take appropriate action as it deems fit and proper," the AIFF said in a statement.

Bajaj, who owned former I-League club Minerva Punjab FC, last month alleged that Das molested employees at workplace, a charge that was outrightly rejected by the AIFF with their integrity officer Javed Siraj giving Das a clean chit.

Earlier in the day, Bajaj lodged a complaint with the National Commission of Women against Das besides writing to FIFA and AFC's ethics committees.

The AIFF has been facing the heat of late, largely because of the delay in conducting its elections, pending since more than a year despite several members of the body expressing their opposition to it.

The AIFF, however, took umbrage of the pending case in front of the Supreme Court.

"It has been reiterated time and again that the AIFF is not in a position to hold its elections as presently the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India is seized of the matter pertaining to the amendment of