AIFF slaps Mohun Bagan with two-year ban from I-League

New Delhi, Dec 29 (IANS): India’s iconic club Mohun Bagan Saturday was suspended by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) for two years from the I-League for abandoning a match mid-way against East Bengal Dec 9 after crowd trouble.

The I-League core committee met here and endorsed the report submitted by the one-man committee of A.K. Ganguly, a retired Supreme Court Judge. The committee was set-up by AIFF President Praful Patel.

Mohun Bagan and the AIFF had presented their case to the AIFF during a hearing that lasted over five hours Monday. Ganguly submitted his report Wednesday.

Ganguly said Mohun Bagan’s decision not to play the Kolkata match after interval can’t be supported on the grounds of Force Majeure, and that the club had breached Regulation 22 of the I-League Regulation 2012-13.

According Regulation 22, Mohun Bagan will withdraw from this season, all its matches in the 2012-13 have been cancelled and considered null and void, they are also disqualified from taking part in the next two editions of the I-League, will return any financial stipends paid by the I-League for the 2012-13 season.

The I-League core committee will again meet Jan 9 to decide if the quantum of punishment imposed on Mohun Bagan is enough or if aditional fine and suspension were needed.

Mohun Bagan abandoned the Kolkata derby of I-League against East Bengal after key player Syed Rahim Nabi was injured. He was hit on his face by a stone hurled from the crowd at the Salt Lake stadium.

Here is the official AIFF press release:

The I-League Core Committee of All India Football Federation (AIFF) received the detailed Report dated 26^th December 2012 of the Hon’ble Justice A. K. Ganguly relating to I-League Match No. 68 between Kingfisher East Bengal (KEB) and Mcdowell Mohun Bagan (MMB) played at Yuba Bharati Stadium, Salt Lake City Kolkata on 9 December 2012.

Justice Ganguly in his report has concluded that the decision of MMB for not playing the match after the interval cannot be supported on the grounds of Force Majeure and accordingly MMB has breached Regulation 22 of the I-League Regulation 2012-2013.

The I-League Core Committee endorsed the decision of Justice A.K. Ganguly that MMB was in breach of I-League regulations and therefore in terms of regulation 22(c) the mandatory and automatic impositions on MMB (i) of being considered to have withdrawn from the I-League Competition 2012-2013 (ii) to have all its matches in the I-League Competition 2012-2013 cancelled and considered null and void (all points, goals scored and goal against being taken away); (iii) being disqualified from taking part in the next two (2) editions of the I-League Competitions; (iv) to return to the I-League any financial stipends that had been paid to it by I-League throughout the Competition 2012-2013 or forfeit the right to the same, are hereby notified to have been imposed upon and effective with immediate effect.

The I-League Core Committee also decided that in the subject matters of “quantification of the amount of compensation”, “extension of the suspension, if any” and “additional sanctions and fines, if any”, a meeting of the Committee be convened on 9^th January, 2013 at New Delhi and M/s. United Mohun Bagan Football Team Private Limited be requested to place its view points in regard to the factors relating to “quantification of the amount of compensation”, “extension of the suspension, if any” and “additional sanctions and fines, if any”.

Consequent to ‘Mcdowell Mohun Bagan’ being considered to have withdrawn from the I-League Competition 2012-2013 and having all its matches cancelled and considered null and void (all points, goals scored and goal against being taken away), the revised Fixture with re-structured Point Table will be published as soon as possible.

Sunando Dhar, the CEO of I-League has been authorised to communicate the detailed decision of the Committee, as above, through letter to M/s. United Mohun Bagan Football Team Private Limited and forward a copy of the Report of the Hon’ble Justice A. K. Ganguly dated 26^th December 2012.