AICF Calicut invalid: Madras HC

Chennai, June 13 (UNI) Madras High Court today held ''invalid'' the registration of the All India Chess Federation (AICF) at Calicut by a person, unscrupulously.

A division bench comprising Mr Justice P Sathasivam and Mr Justice J A K Sampath Kumar held the AICF was registered in 1958 under Societies Act at Chennai and there could be only one AICF in India for communication with the Federation Internationale des Echecs (FIDE) (World Chess Federation).

The bench also dismissed a bunch of appeals by UP Chess Association, former AICF Secretary P T Ummer Koya, Rajasthan State Chess Association and All Kerala Chess Association, upholding a single-judge bench order dated December 16, 2005 which ratified the disqualification of the All Kerala Chess Association, Chhattisgarh Chess Association, Lakshadweep Chess Association, Jammu and Kashmir Chess Association, Rajasthan Chess Association and UP Chess Association.

The chess bodies were disqualified by the AICF chairperson Justice A K Rajan on September 19, 2005.

''We are satisfied that there was no error committed by the single judge both factually and on laws and hence the order of the single judge is confirmed,'' the court ruled.

The court said Ummer Koya and former AICF treasurer Sowmen Majumdar, who were facing charges of misappropriation of AICF funds, were not liable to claim any litigation expenses from the chess body.

The bench directed the two submit details of accounts pertaining to withdrawal of AICF funds between April 16 to May 5, 2005.

UNI XR AA YA BD1912