Indian Football Administrators File Contempt Petition Against Ex-AIFF Chief

The Committee of Administrators (CoA) currently running football in the country has filed a contempt petition against ousted AIFF president Praful Patel for "interfering with the proceedings" of the Supreme Court which last week ordered elections to the national federation. In the contempt petition, the CoA said Patel "conducted a meeting of the 35 Intervening Member Associations (state associations of the AIFF) with the express purpose of interfering with the proceedings of this Hon'ble Court..." The petition also attached transcripts of the said meeting, which was conducted over Zoom at 11 am on August 8. It said they have "interfered with the administration of justice by committing gross contempt of the orders" passed by the top court.

The petition made the plea to bar Patel "from participating in and holding any football related posts forthwith, including and not limited to positions in FIFA and AFC".

It also requested the top court to initiate proceedings for contempt of court against the alleged contemners "for interference in the administration of justice, and the willful and flagrant disobedience of orders ... and punish them with maximum penalty in accordance with law".

Along with Patel, the virtual meeting was attended by IFA (Bengal football body) chairman Subrata Dutta, Delhi Football chief Shaji Prabhakaran and five others, who form the seven-member committee to represent the state associations of the AIFF in the negotiations for the drafting of new constitution.

All seven of them have also been made contemners along with Patel.

If the contents of the transcripts submitted to the top court are proved, it will bring out in the open the murky dealings of Indian football, which have long been talked about in