Football
AIFF prez Kalyan Chaubey secures bail of detained football fans
The fans were detained on Sunday during a massive protest demanding justice for a 31-year-old trainee doctor who was raped and murdered at RG Kar Hospital.
In a late-night intervention on Sunday, Kalyan Chaubey, the president of the All India Football Federation (AIFF), successfully secured the bail of several detained football supporters from the Lalbazar Police Headquarters in Kolkata.
The fans, associated with the prominent Kolkata football clubs East Bengal and Mohun Bagan, had been detained earlier that day during a large-scale protest demanding justice for a 31-year-old trainee doctor who was raped and murdered at the government-sponsored RG Kar Hospital in Kolkata.
The protests, which took place on Sunday afternoon, saw a massive turnout, with supporters of East Bengal, Mohun Bagan, and Mohammedan Sporting joining forces in a united call for justice.
As tensions escalated, the police intervened to control the situation, leading to multiple arrests. While some protesters managed to evade detention, six supporters were taken into custody and remained behind bars until Chaubey intervened.
Chaubey, who arrived at Lalbazar with legal support late Sunday night, ensured that the detained fans did not have to spend the night in lockup.
The AIFF president later took to social media to express his relief at preventing the supporters from enduring the "pain of spending the night at the police station."
Chaubey also took the opportunity to criticise the cancellation of the much-anticipated Kolkata derby between East Bengal and Mohun Bagan.
The match, which was called off due to the ongoing protests, had been eagerly awaited by fans. Speaking to ANI on Monday, Chaubey condemned the decision, arguing that the derby could have gone ahead even with a reduced police presence.
"It is a disgrace to football," he said, highlighting the deep disappointment felt by the football community.
The cancellation of the Kolkata derby has sparked significant outrage among fans and football enthusiasts alike, many of whom believe that the authorities' actions were excessive.
Chaubey’s intervention at Lalbazar has been widely praised, however, the broader implications of the protest and the response from the authorities continue to be a subject of intense debate in Kolkata’s footballing circle.