Indian Football Association (IFA) in a press release sought justice from the All India Football Federation (AIFF) after the under-17 girls' Bengal team were forced to crash out of the under-17 girls' national championship held in Bhubaneswar. 

Jharkhand in the group league match on 20th September beat Bengal 6-2 at OFA ground but with a rider, using fraudulent registration of two over-aged players in the match namely, Sangita Kumari and Priyatama Tirkey (their jersey numbers were no. 5 and no. 7, respectively). Both the footballers were registered as aged 15 years but both had to undergo a medical examination following a protest lodged by the Bengal. 

The medical examination which was conducted by the authority on 23rd September at the GENX Diagnostics, SCIVC Campus found to be aged approximately between 17-18 years. 

Unfortunately, despite the proof of over-age, Bengal’s protest was not accepted by the tournament’s match-commissioner. Jharkhand topped the group with nine points by winning against Bengal by using such unscrupulous and fraudulent methods and through their subsequent victories against other two teams in the group. 

On the contrary, despite winning against Mizoram by six goals and by 5-2 against Bihar to gather six points Bengal finished at the second position. 

IFA secretary Anirban Dutta commenting on the issue said, "I am extremely disappointed with the manipulative and fraudulent methods Jharkhand applied, and more significantly I am fully upset to have noticed that despite the proof that two respective footballers were over-aged, Jharkhand was given the indulgence. That is why our protest was not accepted by the tournament's match-commissioner. It was a clear violation of the whole process of the tournament." The IFA has demanded justice from the AIFF on the issue.