ISL 2017-18: Abinash Ruidas released by East Bengal as bitter contract dispute ends

Kolkata: The bitter contract row between Abinash Ruidas and East Bengal came to an end on Saturday with the red-and-gold camp releasing the Indian leftwinger who was snapped up by Indian Super League franchise Mumbai City FC. “This is to inform you that you are hearby released from our club for the season 2017-18,” East Bengal authorised representative Sadananda Mukherjee wrote in the letter to Ruidas, a copy of which is accessed by PTI. [caption id=“attachment_3907613” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representative image. Getty Images[/caption] The letter was handed over to Ruidas’s lawyer Vidushpat Singhania this afternoon and the footballer will now be relieved to don Mumbai City FC jersey in the upcoming ISL. According to sources, East Bengal bowed to pressure from the All India Football Federation and Bengal body IFA who met in New Delhi earlier this week as the case was handled by the disciplinary committee of the Indian governing body. The 22-year-old was put in the IFA dock by East Bengal who claimed that he’s still in contract for the upcoming season, something the Bengal football association also endorsed. But Ruidas strongly maintained that he never signed for East Bengal and that his sign was “forged”. A Mumbai-based lawyer firm came to the rescue of Ruidas as IFA had to hand over the matter to AIFF for “want of jurisdiction”.