New Delhi, Feb 12: Delhi High Court on Wednesday sought the stance of the Centre and the All India Football Federation on a petition alleging that Anilkumar Prabhakaran’s appointment as the federation’s secretary general was in violation of the National Sports Code.
Justice Sachin Datta issued notices to the Union sports ministry, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) as well as Prabhakaran on a petition by Delhi Football Club director Ranjit Bajaj and sought their replies in two weeks.
The senior counsel appearing for the petitioner sought Prabhakaran’s removal from the post and said he could not have been appointed as he was earlier elected as a member of the AIFF Executive Committee.
The AIFF appointed Prabhakaran, who hails from Kerala, as its secretary general last July.
In the petition, Bajaj said the sports ministry had expressly barred national sports federations from re-appointing previously elected members of executive committees as nominated individuals to an administrative post.
During the hearing, as the petitioner’s counsel pressed for interim relief, the high court said it would hear the matter on a short date and orally remarked that the “purpose of cooling-off period was frustrated”.
The petitioner’s senior lawyer said the Centre took action in a similar case at the Table Tennis Federation of India but failed to take a uniform step in this matter.
In the plea, the petitioner sought urgent intervention in the “illegal appointment” of Prabhakaran to an “important post” and alleged that there was also a conflict of interest on account of his affiliation with Scoreline Sports.
“He (Prabhakaran) is illegally holding the position of secretary general of respondent No 1 (AIFF) despite previously having held a position as an elected member of the Executive Committee. On 22.08.2022, respondent No 2 (Prabhakaran) was elected as a member of the Executive Committee of respondent No 1. In July 2024, it was reported that respondent No 2 had resigned as a member of the Executive Committee of respondent No 1 and had been appointed as secretary general of respondent No 1,” the petitioner said in the plea.
“The appointment of respondent No 2 is bad in law and runs contrary to rules laid down in National Sports Code, 2011, and letter bearing F No 92-1/2020-SP-III dated 28.02.2022 issued by respondent No 3 (sports ministry),” he added.
The matter will be heard next on March 4. (PTI)
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