NEW DELHI: Barely had FIFA left the building after the successful U-17 World Cup in India than the host’s house came tumbling down.

The High Court in New Delhi has set aside last December’s election of the office-bearers of the All India Football Federation – including president Praful Patel – and nominated former chief election commissioner S Y Quraishi as the administrator for a new ballot.

The court further observed that fresh elections should be held within five months as AIFF had violated the Sports Code.

Acting on a public interest litigation claim, the court quashed the  election result which saw Patel re-elected unopposed for the third term as president of the Indian national football governing body.

Also deposed were general secretary Kushal Das and senior vice-president Subrata Dutta.

Patel first became acting president of the AIFF for a one-year term after former president Priya Ranjan Das Munshi suffered a cardiac arrest in 2008.

However in October 2009, he became full-time president and was re-elected in December 2012. Last year, he was again elected unanimously for the third term. Kushal Das was nominated general secretary. Then, Das had said that the elections were held as per the spirit of the Sports Code and the guidelines related to age and tenure had been complied with.

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