AIFF takes strong exception to Mazumder's remarks

"I want to know what had happened. I doubt and feel that there must be some under-table dealings," Mazumder said yesterday after the AIFF revoked the two-year ban on Mohun Bagan while imposing a meagre fine of Rs 2 crore for abandoning its I-League derby against East Bengal mid-way, last December.

"AIFF has taken serious note of the above uncalled for and malicious defamatory statements, which are in clear breach of the AIFF Disciplinary Code as well as the AIFF Code of Ethics and accordingly necessary actions is being initiated against Mr. Mazumder, the General Secretary of Kingfisher East Bengal Club," the AIFF said in a statement.

Mazumder questioned why retired Supreme Court Justice A K Ganguly was appointed in the first place to find out if Mohun Bagan violated rules if his decision was to be reversed later. It did not go down well with the AIFF.

"It appears that serious aspersions and imputations have been made against AIFF and its officials directly and by innuendo by Mr. Kalyan Mazumder, inter alia, to the extent that the decision of the Executive Committee in respect of and arising out of Reference by Mcdowell Mohun Bagan was obtained through 'under hand and/and or under the Table modus," the statement said further.

"All India Football Federation is extremely concerned and surprised by the statements made by Mr. Kalyan Mazumder, the General Secretary of Kingfisher East Bengal Club in the Media.

"Such aspersions have been made through Print Media publications with clear intent to denigrate and defame All India Football Federation and its responsible Office Bearers which would cause damage and serious prejudice to the reputation, image, credibility and goodwill of the AIFF," it added.