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AIFF suspends Minerva Punjab FC owner Ranjit Bajaj for racial abuse
Ranjit Bajaj, owner of Minerva Punjab FC, was suspended by the AIFF after being found ‘guilty’ of making racist remarks.
I-League champions Minerva Punjab FC owner Ranjit Bajaj was banned for one year from all football activity and also fined ₹10 lakh after being found ‘guilty’ of making racist remarks by AIFF.
The All India Football Federation Disclipinary Committee today said this was the fourth offence committed by Bajaj within a span of year.
The latest incident happened during Minerva’s Under-18 Youth League play-off match against Aizawl FC that ended in a 1-1 draw at JLN Stadium in Shillong on May 12.
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According to the disciplinary committee’s finding, Bajaj hurled racial comments and abuses against the referee Pynskhemhame Mawthoh, who is of North East descent.
“The Committee holds Bajaj guilty of committing serious gross acts of infringements and imposes with sanction of suspension of 12 months,” the disclipinary committee said in its 11-page report which is in possession with PTI.
During the period of suspension, Bajaj will be “banned” from any football-related activities or entry into the stadium during any tournament held under the aegis of AIFF.
The fine of ₹10 lakh has to be paid by Bajaj within a period of 10 days from the date of communication of this decision which was made yesterday.
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“In default of which, suspension and the ban shall continue for the delayed period over and above 12 months, till payment in full,” said AIFF disciplinary committee, chaired by Ushanath Banerjee, in the report.
Match commissioner Biswajit Mitra also gave his account of the details in the disciplinary committee report and concurred that Bajaj had hurled racial abuses, something the Minerva owner has denied.
“Bajaj acted like a criminal indulging in series of hooliganism, abusing the Match Officials in filthy languages, threatening them openly, making racist remarks against the Match Officials. Certainly, none of these can be equated with an educated Guardian of a Sports Club,” it added.
In an official statement, the club termed the ban as ‘shocking and arbitrary’.
“We are shocked by the arbitrary decision of AIFF Disciplinary Committee to ban Bajaj for 12 months and slap a fine of 10 lakh simply because Bajaj made his displeasure about the terrible referring in the U-18 league clear to the match commissioner and officials,” the statement said.
The statement further said that Bajaj was merely trying to highlight the mismanagement and lack of security at the league venues and termed it as an effort to paint their owner as an ‘unruly person’.
“This is a coordinated effort to paint him out to be unruly person just to cover up their (AIFF’s) own failure in upholding standards of the game. Bajaj had questioned the MC (match commissioner) before the match regarding the mismanagement and lack of security at the league venues where a theft of more than 1 lakh took place from one of the dressing rooms on previous match day. Even a FIR was filed, this irked the MC which led to his false reports,” the statement added.
