The ongoing crisis in the National Sports Club of India (NSCI) has taken a new turn with as many as 59 members asking the general council to hold the annual general meeting (AGM) at Delhi on February 21 as decided earlier. The club president Pankaj Khandelwal and secretary-general Sanjay Berry have, however, stated that the meeting should be held in Mumbai.
The members pointed out that the executive committee had unanimously decided at its meeting held on December 2, 2024 that the 47th AGM shall be held in Delhi on February 21 at 5 p.m. The committee instructed Berry to issue notice to that effect to all members and also publish advertisements in newspapers intimating members of the holding of the AGM in Delhi and this was done.
Following a legal notice sent by an advocate-member Gautam Dutta, Khandelwal invoked his powers under club rules 96-98 and asked Berry to issue a corrigendum shifting the venue of the AGM to Mumbai at a convenient date. The petitioners stated that Berry without obtaining the consent of the executive committee or even notifying it had unilaterally issued a letter on February 12 addressed to T.C. Krishnaswamy and Ashim Khanna, CEOs of the Mumbai and Delhi regions of the club respectively, informing them that the AGM would be held in Mumbai and the date would be notified separately. However, 17 members of the executive committee (who constitute two-thirds of the panel) insisted that the meeting be held in Delhi only as decided by it earlier.
The FPJ had reported on Saturday, February 15 that president Khandelwal had imposed an “emergency” and assumed all powers. The petitioners said the imposition of “emergency” by Khandelwal was “not only invalid, but also lacked bonafides.” They said allegations of financial irregularities levelled by Khandelwal were baseless. In any case, a forensic audit of the accounts would bring out the truth or otherwise of the allegations made by Khandelwal. They noted that Khandelwal had exceeded his powers.
The petitioners have asked the general council to pass a resolution stating that the declaration of “emergency” by Khandelwal was a wrongful exercise of the powers conferred on him. They also want a resolution to be passed by the general council reaffirming the decision of the executive meeting to hold the AGM in Delhi on February 21.
Berry had told FPJ that as the secretary-general he was the competent authority and that he was not answerable to all and sundry.
Meanwhile, Khandelwal, who is based in Delhi, on Saturday filed a detailed complaint with the economic offences wing (EOW) of the Delhi Police against Atul Maru, Mumbai regional secretary, Viren Shah, former president and six others regarding the handling of the finances of the institution. When contacted, Maru said the allegations were totally baseless. “In any case, Khandelwal had signed the balance sheet of the club and hence is a party to whatever is stated in that document. So how can he now turn around and file a police complaint? We will reply to each and every charge,” he asserted.
