Former Mohun Bagan and East Bengal star Ajay Kumar Singh in hideout after alleged murder

What's the story?

Former Indian midfielder turned politician Ajay Kumar Singh has been accused in of killing one person and shooting another, before fleeing the scene. He allegedly fired shots at two of his friends Sunil Gupta and Amaresh Kumar Singh at his house in Bokaro, Jharkhand.

He had been running Chinmaya Ajay Singh Football Academy in Bokaro in 2016 after retiring from football and this incident has shocked the entire Indian football fraternity.

In case you didn't know...

Ajay had played for some of the top Indian clubs, including Mohun Bagan, East Bengal, and Churchill Brothers. He launched his football academy in 2016 which was well received by the people as it had 35 cadets in the beginning, including six female footballers.

Indian captain Sunil Chhetri, state coordinator of Sports Authority of India Sushil Kumar Verma, and Jharkhand Football Association secretary Ghulam Rabbani were also a part of the inauguration of the academy.

The heart of the matter

Ajay had a fight with his wife, who happens to be a former archer from Manipur, Angela Singh. He allegedly fired the bullets at his friends after a fight broke out between them.

A carbine, a country-made gun and many cartridges have been recovered from his home by the police. Ajay was also the leader of All Jharkhand Students Union and had contested assembly polls in Bokaro for AJSU in 2005 and for Trinamool Congress in 2009 and 2014.

What's next?

Ajay's wife has been taken into the custody for interrogation. However, it is still unclear that how many people were there in that home during the time of the shooting. The former footballer is currently said to have fled his home.

Author's take

While these allegations tend to tarnish the reputation of someone who has represented two of the biggest clubs in the country, it remains to be seen whether he is actually guilty of the crimes or not.