nAnother major scandal is all set to rock the Indian chess just days after Arjuna awardee and country’s second Grandmaster Dibyendu Barua flagged alleged major irregularities committed by the ‘ousted’ West Bengal Chess Association secretary Atanu Lahiri, who is also joint secretary of the All India Chess Federation (AICF)

In the eye of the storm this time is Manoj Itkelwar, vice president of the AICF, who has also been part of the Indian chess delegations in several major international events. Facing serious charges of alleged financial and ethical improprieties leveled by Dilip Pagay, a well-known player, administrator, and former General Secretary of the Maharashtra Chess Association, Itkelwar recently sent in his resignation to AICF president PR Venketrama Raja.

The AICF, which in the past disaffiliated state chess association at the drop of a hat and sang paens on ethics and morality in chess, has looked the other way and referred the resignation to its council that will meet in Delhi on October 20.

It remains a mystery why Itkelwar’s resignation was not accepted even when he is facing such serious charges, which were first highlighted eight years ago by AICF vice president DV Sundar himself. Anyone familiar with the working of the AICF will know that Sundar is the last word in most of the important decisions taken by the AICF. In 2011, Sundar had forwarded an e-mail to several chess players and officials in which serious charges of financial and ethical improprieties were made against Itkelwar.

It’s obvious that since he first highlighted those charges in 2011, Sundar’s equation changed  with Itkelwar. They have frequently shared dais and been at best of terms in public. But the charges refuse to go away. Dilip Pagay picked up the baton abandoned by Sundar and is determined to bring the matter to a logical conclusion.

Pagay has repeatedly asked the AICF president to allow him to attend the AICF council meeting so that he could  present evidences to back  his cases against Itkelwar. Last week,  he shot off another letter to the AICF president  once again pleading  for a chance to present his case before the AICF central council on October 15 in Delhi.

Stating that he was happy that Manoj Itkelwar has finally put in his papers, Pagay expressed surprise that the resignation has not been  been accepted, and it was placed as an agenda item for the AICF Central Council meeting  under the head:  “Manoj Itkelwar resignation — To discuss and decide.”

 “I feel my complaint should be part of the agenda and I should be given a chance to present my case, which was denied even during the June 2019 AICF central council meeting,” he wrote.

“I have been given to understand that efforts are on to consider my complaint to you against him as an intimidation and reject his resignation. If this happens, it will be a one-sided decision without hearing the complainant. The presence of Mr Itkelwar in the World Youth Chess Championship on the stage together with Mr Sundar gives credence to the claim that his resignation is a mere eyewash,” he wrote.

 “I wonder who will take the responsibility, either you as an AICF President or Mr Sundar, who controls the AICF, or the AICF Central Council if I manage to prove my allegations in the future against Mr Itkelwar after campaign to reject his resignation succeeds,” he added. .

Pagay asked Raja not to  consider his letter as a gimmick but a genuine effort to save AICF from future ignominy because a whistleblower like him is only trying to help the game of chess.

In another letter on May 22, Pagay had said, that he had evidence — documents, photographs and videos  of financial and ethical mismanagement by Itkelwar which he would like to present to the AICF Council personally.

“To facilitate this, my humble request to you is to include this as an agenda item of the next AICF Council and grant me the permission to attend the next Council meeting. To the best of my knowledge, former and present AICF/FIDE officials are aware of all this mismanagement but no action has been initiated yet against him,” he had written.

Ironically, last year when AICF actively backed some ‘elements’ to stage a coup against official of All Bihar Chess Association soon after they hosted o National Junior and national premier  championship in a grand manner, the complainants were invited to present their charges in the AICF council. Why is Pagay not given the same privilege? Has AICF different rules for different people?

When contacted AICF secretary Bharat Singh Chuahan washed his hands off the whole affair, saying the matter was before the Central council. When asked why the AICF president didn’t accept Itkelwar’s resignation when he is facing such charges, Chuahan said he can’t answer for the President.

On his part, Pagay is determined to take this matter to its logical ends. “I’ve more than enough materials to prove my case. The charges against Iktelwar are mind boggling. Sundar himself endorsed them in  2011,” said Pagay.

“Can such a person continue to hold the office of AICF vice president? I’m determined to expose the people who have allowed him to hold such an office,” he told The Pioneer.

With Pagay ready to bring the evidences in public, the world of Indian chess is set to be rocked by yet another scandal.