Mohun Bagan verdict likely this week

New Delhi: Mohun Bagan`s fate in the I-League will likely be known this week after the one-man committee of retired judge A.K. Ganguly gave a patient hearing to the club and the All India Football Federation (AIFF) for over five hours here on Monday.

Ganguly, a retired Supreme Court judge, told IANS that both the parties have presented their case. Mohun Bagan are staring at a two-year ban from the I-league for abandoning their match against East Bengal mid-way, Dec 9. Ganguly will evaluate all aspects of the abandoned match between Mohun Bagan and East Bengal in accordance with I-League regulations 2012-13. "Both the parties presented their case. We also looked into the video footage of the match. I have to look into all angles of the case," Ganguly said. Mohun Bagan were represented by a battery of three lawyers, headed by Gitanath Ganguly, along with club`s general secretary Anjan Mitra and director Debasish Dutta. The AIFF was represented by its legal counsel Usha Nath Banerjee. I-League chief executive Sunando Dhar said that the one-man committee would pronounce its verdict this week. "The hearing is over and Mr.Ganguly will take a day of two before coming out with the verdict. Both the parties have presented their side for over five hours," Dhar told IANS. Mohun Bagan lawyers spoke at length for over three while AIFF`s legal counsel took one hour. Mitra told IANS that the club has tried its best to convince the one-man committee that there was law and order problem during I-League`s Kolkata derby at the packed Salt Lake Stadium. "We have presented our side to the one-man committee. There was law and order problem during the match. Even the police commissioner`s report has mentioned it. Our players were scared. The priority was to save the players, who were scared," said Mitra. Asked if Force Majuere cited by the club, will set a bad example in Indian football, Mitra said: "I don`t think so. The incident should be seen in proper light. Things were out of control on that day." According to AIFF constitution`s Clause 22, Mohun Bagan stands banned for two years. Mohun Bagan face the ban for abandoning Kolkata derby against East Bengal mid-way after their key player, Syed Rahim Nabi, was injured. Nabi was hit in his face by a stone hurled from the crowd. IANS