Vijayan fined; action against F C Kochin

The All India Football Federation has approved striker I M Vijayan's transfer to East Bengal even as its executive committee recommended action against F C Kochin for "suppressing facts" on the player's participation in a tournament in Bangladesh recently.

"The federation has decided not to punish or spoil the career of a player. In Vijayan's case, it has been proved that he was innocent and ignorant of the rules, but the executive felt that the F C Kochin, the club with which Vijayan was registered earlier, had suppressed the facts," AIFF president Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi told a press conference in Madras on Monday.

Dasmunshi said: "FC Kochin did not behave with the federation. Lot of facts were not disclosed by the club on Vijayan's participation in a Bangladesh tournament."

Vijayan had assisted a club in Bangladesh during the Indian off-season without adhering to the rules and statute of the International Football Federation (FIFA).

According to Dasmunshi, "A prima facie case has been established against F C Kochin and the AIFF executive has been given powers to him to deal with the club as per FIFA statute."

A decision would be taken within a week," he said.

Meanwhile, AIFF secretary Alberto Colaco said, "Vijayan has been asked to pay a fine of Rs 50,000 for his error in playing for a foreign team without proper transfer certificate."

He added that the player will be allowed time to make the payment.