As if SC East Bengal’s abysmal performance in the ongoing ISL VII is not enough, they have been banned from signing players for the next two registration periods by the players status committee of the All India Football Federation (AIFF).

“The Club, SC East Bengal erstwhile Quess East Bengal FC, is hereby banned from registering any new players, for the two next entire and consecutive registration periods,” the committee said in a report which is in possession of The Telegraph. However, one source said SC East Bengal could get the ban overturned with an appeal since “it was a bit harsh on the club”.

The committee, headed by Babu Mather, came down heavily on SC East Bengal for non-payment of salaries to some of the players whose contracts were unilaterally terminated by the erstwhile investor Quess Corp.

Four footballers — Pintu Mahata, Abhas Thapa, Rakshit Dagar and Gurwinder Singh — had moved AIFF with help from Football Players’ Association of India (FPAI) seeking outstanding salaries from Quess East Bengal.

Of the four, Mahata, who had not even completed one year of his three-year contract when Quess applied the force majeure clause in the last week of April 2020, had the maximum amount due.

The committee ruled that SC East Bengal, “erstwhile Quess East Bengal,” will have to pay Mahata one month’s salary from the first year’s contract and two years salary from the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons after deducting what he is getting from his present club Sudeva FC.

“The Club, SC East Bengal erstwhile Quess East Bengal is hereby directed to pay to the Player, Mr. Mahata, the outstanding sum of Rs. 66,666/- (Rupees Sixty-Six Thousand Six Hundred and Sixty-Six) as per the Contract, along with interest @ 5% p.a. from August 20, 2020 i.e. the date of filing the Claim.

“For the 2020-21 season, the Club, SC East Bengal erstwhile Quess East Bengal is directed to pay to the Player, the compensation amounting to Rs. 4,00,000/- (Rupees Four Lakh) and for the 2021-22 season, the Club is directed to pay the Player, the compensation amounting to Rs. 4,00,000/- (Rupees Four Lakh), both after deduction of mitigated compensation amounts for those seasons. Hence, in total, the Club, SC East Bengal erstwhile Quess East Bengal FC is directed to pay a compensation of Rs. 8,00,000/- (Rupees Eight Lakh) to Mr. Pintu Mahata, the Player for the seasons 2020-21 & 2021-22,” the ruling said.

Gurwinder, who signed a two-year contract with Quess East Bengal in the later part of the last season, will also get something “around Rs 6 lakh.” SC East Bengal will have to pay Dagar and Abhas one month’s salary which adds up to nearly Rs 3 lakh. Dagar now plays for Sudeva FC, while Abhas is with Real Kashmir FC.

One SC East Bengal official said they have not received any intimation from the AIFF regarding the ban or payment of dues. “But one thing I want to make clear, we are not liable to pay for players who were not signed by us. That’s East Bengal Club’s prerogative. Our agreement is from September 2020, and our liability also starts from then,” the official said.

Interestingly Mahata has been asked by the committee to inform the club about his personal details, “immediately and directly” to an email address of the present investor’s official domain. Now it remains to be seen who foots the bill and appeal against the transfer ban. Whether it’s SC East Bengal or East Bengal club.