HI power tussle intensifies as Tirkey clips Srivastava's powers

BENGALURU: Hockey India's bad news stories keep coming. Late on Saturday, president Dilip Tirkey directed director general Cdr RK Srivastava to 'immediately cease discharging functions of his office'. In an email, sent via advocate Himanshu Chaturvedi, a copy of which is with this daily, it noted that Srivastava 'shall not exercise any authority or act on behalf of Hockey India pending further decision in accordance with HI Bye-Laws'.

The email alleged eight examples of non-compliance including in the matter of the 'national team jersey decision'. Some of the other instances cited by the email include 'the player misconduct matter' during the South Africa trip earlier this year, 'Vikram Pal ICC/POSH records', external 'FIH/AHF communications'. It's interesting to note that Srivastava, who was in Amsterdam during the World Cup, was actually asked to remain in India but the secretary general seemingly didn't listen. Under the section, titled 'World Cup travel and failure to implement the directed delegation', the charge is pretty serious. It further states that the people who were supposed to be sent didn't actually go. "These eight matters are separately answerable," the email adds at the bottom. "But together they prima facie raise serious and recurring questions of executive accountability. The issue for consideration is whether the office of the director general has been exercised within the authority entrusted to it and in faithful implementation of the directions of the elected governance."

Srivastava has been given four weeks to file a response along with all the documents relied upon. "The cessation of functions directed herein is immediate, ad-interim and protective, does not constitute a final determination of any charge or final disciplinary punishment, and shall not by itself affect your existing contractual remuneration or ordinary service benefits."