Panel to probe Gostha Pal's 'misplaced' Padma Shri row

Ace football club Mohun Bagan on Monday formed a six-member committee to look into the matter of legendary Indian footballer Gostha Pal's son alleging that the club has "misplaced" his father's Padma Shri and several other awards.

"We have formed a six-member committee and it will look into the matter. We were elected only in October last year. So we need to have more knowledge about these matters. It is not only his (Gostha Pal's) awards, but we need to look into other issues as well," the club's Finance Secretary Debashish Dutta told IANS.

Nirangshu, the 78-year-old son of Gostha Pal, has claimed that Mohun Bagan misplaced as many as eight awards of his father, including the prestigious Padma Shri.

"We visited the club as a mark of protest. This happened due to their negligence. They had called us one day to collect the awards, but they were given to us in a bag full of rats, cockroaches and what not," Nirangshu told IANS.

Marking the 43rd death anniversary of his father, Nirangshu said that he has even returned the Mohun Bagan Ratna, awarded posthumously to Gostha Paul in 2004.

"It has been an ordeal for us. We even lodged a general diary at the Maidan Police Station last year but to no avail," he said.

Gostha Pal, a revered right back, has seven sons and three daughters. He served Mohun Bagan continuously for 22 years.

His statue was erected in front of the Eden Gardens in 1984 and the street, on which Mohun Bagan is also located, was named after him.

Gostha Pal became the fourth player to receive the Mohun Bagan Ratna in 2004.

--IANS

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