'Submit evidence to prove allegations', AIFF official writes to ex-legal head

New Delhi: The acting secretary general of the All India Football Federation (AIFF) M Satyanarayan on Thursday sent a letter to the former legal head of the federation Nilanjan Bhattacharjee, seeking concrete evidence to substantiate the corruption allegations levelled by the latter.

"As you are aware, such allegations are of utmost concern to us and must be thoroughly investigated to maintain the integrity of our competitions. However, to proceed with any investigation or take appropriate action, it is imperative that we have concrete evidence to substantiate these claims," Satyanarayan wrote in the letter.

In his letter addressed to the Prime Minister and others, Bhattacharjee has levelled some serious allegations regarding the television production of the 2022-23 I-League matches, specifically claiming that dummy cameras were used by the vendor responsible for the production.

Bhattacharjee was removed from his post as legal advisor on Tuesday.

In a letter, Satyanarayan asked Bhattacharjee to provide any evidence or documentation that he might have regarding the use of dummy cameras during the production of the 2022 I-League 23 matches.

This evidence could include, but is not limited to, photographs, videos, witness statements, or any other relevant material that supports the allegations, Satyanarayan wrote.

He also asked Bhattacharjee to submit the evidence at the AIFF office by March 9.

Failure to provide sufficient evidence by the deadline might result in the “inability to take further action in this matter," the letter read.

"We take allegations of this nature very seriously and are committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity and transparency within our organisation.

"Your cooperation in this matter is greatly appreciated, and we look forward to receiving the necessary evidence to proceed with our investigation," Satyanarayan concluded.