Supreme Court to consider listing pleas relating to All India Football Federation

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to consider listing the pleas relating to the All India Football Federation and finalisation of its constitution which was framed by former apex court judge Justice L Nageswara Rao.

A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra took note of the submissions of senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, who is assisting the court as an amicus curiae, that the pleas needed to be heard.

"It was said on March 19 that the pleas will be listed on April 5, that is today," Sankaranarayanan said.

The bench assured that the case will be fixed for hearing soon.

The top court seized two separate clutches of petitions relating to the Indian Olympic Association and the AIFF.

It had said the report, submitted by Justice Rao, shall be circulated by Gopal Sankarnarayanan to all the parties desirous of securing the soft copies.

It had directed that the objections to the AIFF’s draft constitution be filed.

On May 2, 2023, the top court urged Justice Rao to also prepare a comprehensive report on finalising the AIFF constitution after taking note of the objections to a draft document by various stakeholders including FIFA - the apex global body that governs football.

It had said the voluminous objections to the draft constitution by various stakeholders could be taken care of by Justice Rao, who had earlier finalised the constitution of the Indian Olympic Association on the orders of the top court.

The bench was hearing a plea related to the finalisation of the constitution of the AIFF after taking note of "clause-by-clause" objections of various stakeholders of football in the country.