Paul suspended for two months

Mohun Bagan goalkeeper Subrata Paul has been suspended for two months from the game after he was found to have collided with Cristiano Junior during the Federation Cup final soon after which the Dempo striker died on the ground.

The Disciplinary Committee of the All India Football Federation, probing into the incident, said it took a "lenient view taking into account the age of the player."

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"The committee after watching the video tape of the match came to the conclusion that the intention was not to hurt him [Junior]. But there was some collision [between Paul and Junior]," chairman of the committee Hardev Jadeja said on Monday.

"The decision to suspend Paul for two months was absolutely unanimous," he said.

Although post mortem report stated cardiac arrest as the reason for Junior's death, the goalkeeper was accused of an unfair tackle on the Brazilian just before he collapsed to the ground.

Jadeja said Paul will not be allowed to play in January and February, but the custodian was free to appeal against the suspension order before the Appeals Committee of the AIFF.

The Disciplinary Committee had summoned match commissioner M G Suvarna, referee S M Balu, assistant referee Rizwan-ul Haq and Paul, who was accompanied by a representative of Mohun Bagan and his advocate Sushil Salwan.

Following the death of Junior on the ground, Paul had earlier contended that there was no body contact between him and the Brazilian player.

But sources in the AIFF said that when confronted by the Committee, the goalkeeper admitted that "there was a collision."

"But he also said that he had no intention of hurting Junior," the sources added.

Sources said the committee did not discuss Paul's "misbehaviour" in a couple of matches in the Durand Cup while taking the decision.

The committee, headed by Jadeja, also comprised NA Khan (member of the Executive Committee), L R Natarajan (former FIFA referee), Mohan Raj (Secretary, Karnataka Football Association) and Rakesh Bakshi (secretary, Chandigarh Football Association).

Mohan Raj, however, could not attend the meeting since he was indisposed.