Indian Hockey Federation (IHF), on Tuesday, accepted the resignation of K Jothikumaran from the post of Secretary General. Jothikumaran had quit the post after a television channel aired video clips showing him accepting bribe for inducting a player in the national squad.

"We have accepted his resignation. I am out of Delhi right now. When I return, we will take stock of the situation," IHF chief K P S Gill said. A sting operation by a television news channel showed Jothikumaran accepting Rs. 2 lakh for including a player in the squad for the Azlan Shah hockey tournament in Malaysia next month.

The channel claimed Jothikumaran, who was IHF General Secretary for close to 15 years, took a promise of an additional Rs. 3 lakh to be handed over to his man in Delhi. Jothikumaran has denied that he had resorted to any corrupt deals and said he had accepted the money under the impression that it was for a proposal to conduct a big tournament.

"I was genuinely under the impression that a proposal for conducting a big tournament on the lines of Azlan Shah tournament was being debated with me by the reporters. At no point of time did I raise anything about selection," Jothikumaran said. "The money they allege that I had taken was in my opinion to meet the initial expenses for organising the event in India on the same lines of Azlan Shah tournament," he added.

Source : PTI