Kolkata:
With the dispute between Mohun Bagan and Bhaichung Bhutia yet to be settled, the Indian captain on Wednesday brought defamation charges against the club and claimed Rs one crore.
Bhutia, through his legal counsel Usha Nath Banerjee, has written to Mohun Bagan and demanded the amount for 'damaging' his reputation.
"Bhutia is a big name in Indian football and by questioning his commitment and making false allegations, they (Bagan) have damaged his reputation. We have claimed Rs one crore as defamation in a letter to the club," Banerjee said.
Asked about the claim from Bhutia, Bagan general secretary Anjan Mitra said, "I am yet to see the letter. Let them demand anything."
Bhutia was suspended for six months without pay by Mohun Bagan in June for missing a few team training sessions and an exhibition match.
The dispute between the club and the national football icon is now pending before an arbitrator, former Solicitor General of India Amarendra Sharan after Indian Football Association and All India Football Association (AIFF) failed to resolve it.
Sharan heard both the parties in New Delhi on Tuesday and fixed September 13 as the next date of hearing.
Reports said Bhutia has asked the arbitrator for an interim relief that will enable him to play in the forthcoming Durand Cup in New Delhi.
Mohun Bagan management is believed to have asked for compensation though Mitra denied it.
"There is no question of compensation. If he wants to play football in India, he has to play for us as per the contract. We stick to our stand," Mitra said.
Earlier, Bhutia had made an appeal to the IFA to resolve the dispute but AIFF took up the matter. The national body's Players' Status Committee, however, failed to decide on the matter as one member refused to give his opinion.
The AIFF then asked its outgoing general secretary Alberto Colaco to mediate between Mohun Bagan and Bhutia.
After Colaco could not find a solution, the AIFF executive committee in its meeting on August 30 decided to refer the matter to an arbitrator.