AICF mulls action against Bharat Singh Chauhan


Mumbai, Aug 30: The All India Chess Federation (AICF) is contemplating disciplinary action against Bharat Singh Chauhan, its former secretary and current FIDE advisory board member, over allegations of missing documents from his tenure. Chauhan, who also serves as the President of the Delhi Chess Association, received a show cause notice on August 5, demanding the submission of certain documents allegedly missing from his time as AICF Secretary, a position he held until 2022.

The AICF has announced a Special General Body Meeting on September 12 to discuss necessary actions concerning Chauhan, along with former officials Naresh Sharma, Dr. Vipnesh Bhardwaj, and AK Verma. These individuals have been similarly questioned about missing documents.

Chauhan has firmly denied any wrongdoing, claiming that no documents are missing and accusing the AICF of double standards. He pointed out that despite being issued a show cause notice on August 5, Verma was appointed as the Head of Operations just days later, which Chauhan perceives as a contradictory move by the federation.

In response to these developments, Chauhan has filed a complaint with the Ethics Committee against AICF Secretary Dev Patel, alleging a disregard for the federation’s rules. He expressed concerns about the expedited nature of the proceedings against him while he is bedridden and indicated his intent to address the issue legally.

A senior AICF official responded by stating that the federation is within its rights to evaluate Chauhan’s responses and consider disciplinary actions based on the outcomes of the Special General Body Meeting.

The AICF is also investigating other issues, including the allocation of funds during the 2022 Chess Olympiad tender process.