Appointment of administrative panel: SC dismisses TN Football Association's plea, slaps cost

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a plea by the Tamil Nadu Football Association challenging a Madras High Court order appointing a committee to look into the affairs of the football body till a new administrative panel is appointed.

Observing that the plea was an abuse of the process of law, a bench of Justices Surya Kant and K V Viswanathan also imposed a cost of Rs 50,000 on the office bearers of the Tamil Nadu Football Association, including its president Jesiah Villavarayar.

The apex court directed that the cost be deposited with the Supreme Court Middle Income Group Legal Aid Services.

It also directed its registry to list the matter as a contempt petition on its own if the members fail to deposit the cost amount. It made clear that the office bearers shall not reimburse the cost from the association.

"The problem is that you are not spending money from your pocket so you don't know the pain of litigation. You are spending public money. This is all self promotion and abuse of the process of the law," the bench said.

The top court was hearing an appeal filed by the Tamil Nadu Football Association and its office bearers against the September 20, 2023 order of the high court, which had constituted an administrative committee of retired judge Justice A K Rajan (Retd) with four other members.

The administrative committee shall administer the association until the new administrative body is elected and approved by this court, the high court had said.