SC raps AIFF members: We don’t appreciate your back-door methods to defeat the orders of the court-SC

At the outset, senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan,appearing for the CoA, said that they have filed a contempt application

Representational image. : File photo

PTI   |   New Delhi   |  11.08.22 :  The Supreme Court on Wednesday told state football associations that it does not appreciate their “back-door methods” to defeat the orders of the court and it is up to them to host the Fifa Under-17 Women’s World Cup.The top court said that it had passed a consent order on August 3 and the way forward is that the Committee of Administrators (CoA) and ministry of youth affairs and sports engage with Fifa and the Asian Football Confederation(AFC) on the international tournament, scheduled to start on October 11.

A bench of Justice DY Chandrachud, Justice Surya Kant and Justice AS Bopanna said it is listing for Thursday the modification applications filed by the state football associations,the Centre, and a contempt petition filed by the CoA against ousted AIFF president Praful Patel for allegedly “interfering with the proceedings”of the apex court.

The bench told senior advocate Menaka Guruswamy, appearing for the state football associations, “We don’t appreciate your back-door methods to defeat the orders of the court.” Guruswamy said they have also filed an application and want it to be listed along with those filed by other parties.

At the outset, senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan,appearing for the CoA, said that they have filed a contempt application.The bench told additional solicitor-general Sanjay Jain, appearing for the sports ministry, that Fifa, being an international organisation, is not under its jurisdiction. It suggested that the Centre and CoA engage with Fifa on hosting the tournament.