Churchill sponsors to conduct inquiry into airhostess molestation charge

Goa's leading football club Churchill Brothers, three of whose players are accused of molesting an airhostess onboard a flight, may head for deeper trouble with its sponsors deciding to initiate an independent inquiry into the charge.

The senior management representatives from Kunnath Pharmaceuticals, whose Musli Power Xtra brand has inked a Rs 18-crore sponsorship deal with the club, held an hour-long meeting with Churchill Brother's patron Churchill Alemao yesterday.

Musli Power Xtra is an Indian sex aphrodisiac, which entered into a three-year sponsorship agreement with the I-league winners in September last year renaming the team as Musli Power Churchill Brothers.

Emerging from the meeting in south Goa, Kunnath Pharmaceuticals' managing director KC Abraham said the status quo remains on the sponsorship issue but the company will hold its own private inquiry.

"We have heard Churchill Alemao and now we will talk to Spicejet management, the police and the victim girl to get to the bottom of the case. We will not form our opinion by media reports. We will satisfy ourselves," Abraham told PTI.

Abraham said the company will review the deal if molestation charge is proved beyond doubt as the product, which is sponsoring the team, "has a respected customer base, which we don't want to lose".

Three players of the club were arrested on the charge of molesting an airhostess onboard a Spicejet plane on way from Goa to Mumbai on Tuesday. The team, which was on its way to Kolkata, was offloaded in Mumbai after the incident.