After initial reluctance, AIFF suspends Deepak Sharma for alleged physical assault of two women players

Before that, the Emergency Committee of the AIFF comprising president Kalyan Chaubey, vice-president N A Haris and treasurer Kipa Ajay, on Monday took stock of the complaints received from the players against Sharma.

Thereafter, a meeting of AIFF member associations was held on Monday night and “Sharma was called and heard for a few minutes before he was advised to leave the meeting”.

In the complaint sent to the AIFF, the two players said, according to sources, that Sharma was mostly in an inebriated state and they were “scared for their lives”.

Sports Minister Anurag Thakur had also asked the AIFF to take “quick” and “strong legal action” against the official.

On Tuesday, the AIFF also dissolved the three-member committee formed on March 30 to probe the incident, and instead referred the matter to its Disciplinary Committee.