The IFA’s general body is meeting on Thursday to discuss the raging controversy surrounding Bhaichung Bhutia’s decision to leave Mohun Bagan and join East Bengal. The governing body will take a final call on the validity of the player’s move to seek Mohun Bagan’s release order, and the club’s subsequent denial and punitive action against him in the form of a six-month suspension.

The problem is, instead of hosting the meeting at the IFA office — like it always does in cases like this — the general body summit will take place at Town Hall, for which the IFA is paying an amount of Rs 10,000, or even more.

The Bhutia-Mohun Bagan spat has been dragging on since April this year when it all started with the striker skipping the club’s exhibition match in Jalpaiguri. Bhutia’s absence left Bagan secretary Anjan Mitra sore, and Bhutia was show-caused. The Indian captain retaliated in his inimitable style, walking out of his contract with the green-and-maroons and signing up with Maidan rivals East Bengal.

In the meantime, Mohun Bagan slapped a six-match ‘without-pay’ suspension on Bhutia, and the latter called Mitra’s bluff at the press meet, terming the Bagan secretary as “publicity-hungry”.

Bhutia is now undergoing a conditioning camp overseas with the national probables. His request for release order from Mohun Bagan is hanging in limbo and his special legal counsel Usha Nath Banerjee is battling for him in his absence. After roping in the reputed legal hawk, Bhutia sought intervention of the IFA in his continuing tussle with Mohun Bagan officials.

Thursday’s governing body meeting of the IFA is expected to clear the air and decide on a course of action to untangle the problems between Bhutia and Mohun Bagan club. However, even as the summit assumes importance, the IFA’s move to splurge Rs 10,000 and book a separate venue, the Town Hall, has raised quite a few eyebrows. The IFA could have easily held the meeting at its usual office, which comfortably accommodates all the governing body members. The decision to pay big bucks just for an evening’s meeting will surely draw criticism considering that the IFA only recently was dealt a heavy blow by one of its sponsors. A television channel recently turned down a contract with the football association.

Bhutia’s legal expert Banerjee is expected to appear before the governing body at Thursday’s all-important meeting, but the player himself won’t be available since he is training overseas. Mohun Bagan club has also been asked to send over at least one representative to attend what is now being called the case’s hearing.

The IFA’s decision to spend a commendable amount of money on Bhutia’s comes in stark contrast to its handling of the much lesser publicised controversy surrounding Snehasish Chakrabarty, who is in a spot over his signing over from Chirag United to Mohun Bagan.