Churchill Brothers file fresh Delhi High Court case to stall Inter Kashi’s ISL promotion

Inter Kashi were crowned I-League 2024–25 champions after winning their case at CAS.

Churchill Brothers have filed a new writ in the Delhi High Court against the  All India Football Federation (AIFF) and and I-League winners Inter Kashi FC, alleging breaches of league rules and the AIFF’s 2023 Request for Proposal (RFP). The matter was listed for hearing today, September 17, at 2:00 pm IST.

The Court heard the arguments from Churchill Brothers and has scheduled the next hearing for September 18.

The petition asked the court to disqualify Inter Kashi from both the I-League and the ISL for 2025–26, and also seeks a court-appointed inquiry into AIFF’s handling of the club’s bid and operations.

“Consequently, the Petitioner is seeking, inter alia, disqualification of Respondent No. 2 (Inter Kashi) from the I-League and/or the ISL,” the petition read.

Churchill’s prayer further asks for a writ directing AIFF to bar Inter Kashi for “clear violation” of the RFP; in the alternative, to declare the club’s entry “void ab initio”; or, at the very least, to compel Inter Kashi to stage home matches in its declared base of Varanasi or another Tier-II city in Uttar Pradesh. The petition also seeks production of the club’s bid documents and an independent probe under a retired judge into its proposal, payments and venue usage.

“In clear contravention of the letter and spirit of the said RFP, Respondent No. 2 [Inter Kashi] organised its home matches outside the scope of the its declared home city (Varanasi) and State (Uttar Pradesh) has played all its matches in the I League 2023-24 and I League 2024-25 season in Kalyani (on the outskirts of Kolkata), West Bengal,” the petition read.

Also Read: Swiss Federal Supreme Court rejects Churchill Brothers’ appeal against CAS verdict on I-League title

What is Churchill alleging?

At the heart of the case is venue compliance. Churchill claims Inter Kashi bid as a Tier-II entrant from Varanasi but staged all home fixtures in Kalyani across the last two seasons and now plan to play in Guwahati—undermining the RFP’s goal of building football in the declared home market. The petition cites RFP clauses requiring an approved home stadium and a five-year lease in the declared city, and points to tiered financial thresholds (₹5 crore for Tier-I vs ₹2.5 crore for Tier-II) to argue “regulatory arbitrage”.

“Respondent No. 2 has fraudulently secured undue financial advantage by declaring itself as a Tier II city club from Kashi, thereby paying a reduced corporate entry fee and enjoying lower thresholds, while continuing operations from Kolkata, a Tier-1 city….”

Governance questions aimed at AIFF

Churchill also have also referenced a joint representation dated April 16, 2025 from seven I-League clubs to the AIFF Disciplinary Committee, flagging Inter Kashi’s venue and governance issues and alleging no transparent action followed.

“On 16.04.2025, a joint representation was submitted to the AIFF Disciplinary Committee by seven I-League clubs… The said letter highlighted that Inter Kashi had misrepresented its base and was operating from Kolkata in violation of the RFP… Till date no response has been received… nor any formal intimation of any action taken,” it added.

The petition places all of this in the promotion context: Inter Kashi have already been declared champions after the CAS ruling, while Churchill said they are awaiting the full, reasoned CAS award and plans to approach the Swiss Federal Tribunal thereafter. The High Court has been asked to call for documents from AIFF and consider court-monitored scrutiny of Inter Kashi’s compliance.

The wider backdrop

It’s worth noting the inconsistency across the pyramid: among the seven signatories of the April representation, Delhi FC have played outside Delhi in recent seasons; Rajasthan United only returned to play in Rajasthan in 2024–25 after years away; and Sreenidi Deccan, granted direct entry in 2021–22 for Visakhapatnam, never played there and later moved to Hyderabad.

After losing multiple rounds at CAS and with the Swiss Federal Tribunal declining to stay the CAS judgment, this latest filing reads as another attempt to slow Inter Kashi’s pathway to the ISL.

Meanwhile, on September 11, the AIFF Executive Committee constituted a two-member panel to finalise Inter Kashi’s promotion and submit its report by September 16. Churchill’s new action landed in the middle of that timeline; as of now, no report has been made public.

One more point of contention in the writ is venue geography. Churchill underlined that Inter Kashi staged “home” games at Kalyani Stadium—on the outskirts of Kolkata—and noted that Tier-1 Kolkata clubs like Mohun Bagan and Mohammedan regularly use the ground.

What the filing doesn’t spell out is that Kalyani is a separate municipality, not Kolkata proper, and—by AIFF’s own tiering framework—falls under a Tier-2/3 classification. That nuance will likely come up in court when arguments turn to whether Kalyani’s use amounted to operating from a Tier-1 base in spirit or simply a temporary, compliant alternative outside Varanasi.

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