PANAJI: The Delhi High Court on Friday temporarily stayed the All India Football Federation’s (AIFF) decision to sack its secretary general Shaji Prabhakaran. When the petition came up for hearing on Friday, the AIFF did not have a representative in court, despite a prior notice being served.
The court has asked for notices to be issued to the AIFF and to schedule the next hearing for December 20.
Prabhakaran had filed a writ petition, submitting that the termination, and the subsequent appointment of deputy secretary M Satyanarayan as the acting secretary general, was done in “complete ignorance and disregard for the Constitution of AIFF and the terms and conditions” of his appointment letter dated September 7, 2022.
While terminating the contract, AIFF said it was done with immediate effect due to “breach of trust.” The termination letter was signed by AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey, vice president NA Harris and treasurer Kipa Ajay. But Prabhakaran, a former FIFA development officer for South Asia, said his dismissal was completely illegal and arbitrary.
“For the termination, a proposal was required from the AIFF president to the executive committee and thereafter, the said committee was to deliberate upon the said proposal. It is clear from a plain reading of Articles 32 and 33 of the AIFF Constitution that (only) the executive committee has the power to appoint or dismiss the secretary general,” Prabhakaran said in his petition.
In this case, the president, besides the vice president and treasurer, first sacked the secretary general and then got it ratified at the executive committee meeting the next day.
Prabhakaran said the AIFF violated principles of natural justice in terminating his contract without giving him a chance to explain. He has sought reinstatement as secretary general with backpay, incentives and benefits from the date of his termination.
