Anwar Ali's hearing snub unfurls new chapter in intricate transfer saga
Anwar Ali and his lawyer did not show up for the hearing that was set to take place today.
In the latest turn of events in Anwar Ali’s transfer saga, the East Bengal defender and his appointed legal representative did not turn up for the All India Football Federation’s (AIFF) Players’ Status Committee (PSC) hearing on 23rd October, 2024.
Originally scheduled to be held on 30th September, the player has repeatedly avoided attending the legal proceedings after the declaration of his transfer as null and void by the AIFF’s PSC was overturned by the Delhi High Court and referred back to the PSC.
Why has Anwar Ali’s transfer saga been in the spotlight?
Although the ball-playing defender will be a welcome addition to any side, Anwar Ali’s transfer to East Bengal was all the more heated and has been under scrutiny due to the forceful termination of his loan contract with rivals Mohun Bagan Super Giant. Ali terminated his contract, cutting short his loan spell and returning to his parent club Delhi FC.
The Ranjit Bajaj-owned side then proceeded to agree on a lucrative deal with the Red and Gold which would see Anwar Ali move to the side before ISL 2024-25. A dispute while procuring the No Objection Certificate (NOC) from Mohun Bagan led to Anwar Ali complaining to the AIFF’s Players’ Status Committee, which started looking into the matter.
Ali’s intentions backfired, however, as he was adjudged to have terminated his loan agreement with the Mariners “without just cause.” East Bengal and Delhi FC were banned from registering new players for two consecutive transfer windows and Ali was banned from playing official matches for four months.
Apart from this, the PSC also imposed a hefty amount of compensation to be paid to Mohun Bagan by the two clubs and the player. However, according to the agreement between East Bengal and Delhi FC, the fine amount will be distributed between Anwar Ali and East Bengal. This included a breakup of the following factors:
- The residual value of Anwar Ali’s contract for three years, calculated at an average of INR 2.8 crores per year
- INR 2 crores already paid by MBSG to Delhi FC under the original loan deal
- INR 2.5 crores, which covers other damages, including replacement costs
This brought the total sum to be approximately around INR 12.9 crores. East Bengal took the matter to the High Court on behalf of the respondents, which set aside the AIFF PSC’s judgment and ordered a rehearing. That brings us to the never-ending narrative of new dates for the final hearing and successive abstentions by Anwar Ali and his team on the same.
ALSO READ: Anwar Ali Case: Full judgement of AIFF PSC explained
A look at the timeline of the scheduled hearings
Curiously, the committee had declared on 26th September itself that, “It is clarified that no further adjournment shall be granted,” as was disclosed by Ashish Negi on X.
It was also confirmed later that the hearing was to be procedural, keeping in mind the requests of the multiple parties involved. The committee stated, “Given the multiple requests and concerns raised by different parties, the committee informed all the parties that a hearing would be held on 30.09.2024 as a procedural hearing only to fix a schedule for how the matter can proceed.”
Amidst this upheaval, Delhi FC filed a fresh case in the Delhi High Court regarding Anwar Ali’s transfer, claiming that the AIFF’s PSC didn’t have two members with legal experience as per the AIFF’s old constitution.
It is important to mention that when Ali received his NOC from the PSC on 19th September 2024, the order mentioned that no objections were raised on the committee’s structure, despite one member leaving the committee since the last hearing related to the case.
Now, the Players’ Status Committee’s newly-appointed chairperson, Justice (retd) Ravinder Singh, has stated that 10th November will be the final hearing date, starting in the morning and finishing on the same day. All eyes will be on the player and the case as Indian football fans are eager to hear the final verdict.
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