AIFF formally sacks secretary general Shaji Prabhakaran

All India Football Federation formally sacked General Secretary Shaji Prabhakaran on Tuesday at the meeting of the Executive Committee at Football House, New Delhi.

Earlier in November, Prabhakaran was dismissed by an AIFF emergency committee on November 7 for “breach of trust”, the decision was ratified at an executive committee meeting two days later.

Shaji challenged the decision and a single bench of the Delhi High Court had on December 8 ordered an interim stay on his sacking.

In its latest order of January 19, the High Court pointed out that Prabhakaran was dismissed by the emergency committee of the AIFF whereas the federation's constitution provides that only the executive committee has the power to do that.

The HC, however, had said that the stay order of December 8 "does not act as a bar on the AIFF to hold the meetings of the executive committee to terminate the tenure of the petitioner (Prabhakaran)".

"Yes, Shaji Prabhakaran was sacked as secretary general by the executive committee in the meeting on Tuesday," a source told PTI.

The source also said that Prabhakaran asked explanation for his dismissal claiming that he hadn't committed any financial fraud.

"He (Prabhakaran) asked the executive committee to explain what constituted a breach of trust based on which he was dismissed. He said he had not committed any financial irregularities or fraud. He also said that there was no emergency committee constituted for the AIFF and how can there be a reference to the emergency committee for my dismissal," the source said.