FC Pune City player Ashique Kuruniyan has written a letter to the All India Football Federation (AIFF), complaining against the non-payment of dues by the Indian Super League (ISL) club, Goal has learnt.
According to a source close to the developments, Ashique is the latest player to approach the Indian FA after Canadian striker Iain Hume did the same earlier this week. The Wadhawan Group-owned team have defaulted in making payments to its staff ever since the club faced financial turmoil over the past season.
However, the Pune outfit's chairman Dheeraj Wadhawan had written a letter to all the players and support staff reassuring them that all their dues will be cleared in tranches, with the first batch of arrears set to cleared by June 10.
In Iain Hume's case, both parties came to an amicable solution and the club promised to pay the Canadian's arrears in two instalments - the first one by 15th June and the final one by 15th July. This was only after a lawyer, representing FC Pune City, attended the meeting of the Player Status Committee of the AIFF which was a result of the governing body taking cognizance of Hume's letter.
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Ashique is an India international with 12 caps and has amassed 26 ISL appearances for Pune City over the course of two seasons. Born in Malappuram, Kerala, the 21-year-old has been with the Pune FC academy since 2014, which was later sold to FC Pune City Academy in 2016.
He also had a spell with Spanish third-division side Villareal 'C', on-loan from Pune City in the winter of 2016-17, before making his senior professional debut with his parent club.
Goal has also learnt that the AIFF are yet to send any sort of communication to Pune City after receiving Ashique's letter. With the club struggling financially, the management had planned to release its entire senior squad before the Super Cup but made a U-turn.
They finished seventh in the league and were knocked out of the Super Cup by I-League champions Chennai City.
