There is a reason why the Kolkata derby is considered one of the most violent football derbies in the world; this incident is merely one example

The Kolkata Derby, i.e., East Bengal FC vs. Mohun Bagan SG, is one of the oldest football derbies in the world and is also considered one of the most violent in the game's history. Be it players getting physical with each other or fans getting into heated arguments and fights, it is all part & parcel of the Kolkata Derby.

However, in 2012, all hell broke loose when a red card turned the stadium into a war field.

Three yellows

From 2010 to 2015, Mohun Bagan went through a transitional phase with multiple coaches coming in or leaving in quick succession. Thus, the team's gameplay had gone for a toss, and wins were not easily found at the dinner table. These reasons led to frustration among players, which was evident from how they behaved on the pitch. In this case, on December 9, Bagan had accumulated three yellow cards in the first half itself.

The game-turning red card

In the 43rd minute of the game, HarmanjotKhabra of East Bengal was in the perfect spot to score a brilliant header that gave his team a lead. However, moments later, Nirmal Chhetri tackled Khabra, which earned him the third yellow mentioned in the above paragraph. That's when Mohun Bagan's star OdafaOkolie showed dissent to the referee, which suddenly earned him a straight red card out of nowhere.

Violence or nothing

The Mohun Bagan went berserk and pelted stones at the match officials along with cracker missiles. Unfortunately, a rock hit Syed Rahim, and he suffered critical injuries, ultimately leaving the pitch in an ambulance. Violence quickly escalated among the fans as 40 fans were reportedly injured. Police had to resort to lathi-charges, and multiple policemen also suffered injuries.

Mohun Bagan says no

Following the chaos, Mohun Bagan decided not to return to pitch for the second half of the game. The All India Football Federation (AIFF) and I-League corebanned Mohun Bagan for the entire season and another two seasons from the I-League for breaching Regulation 22 of the I-League Regulation 2012-2013. All the points that Mohun Bagan collected till that match were also deemed null and all Mohun Bagan's next matches were cancelled.

Bagan's appeal

Mohun Bagan appealed against the decision, and after much debate, the decision to ban them was overturned. Mohun Bagan resumed the tourney with zero points, starting from scratch and looking at relegation. However, the team salvaged 29 points and finished 10th in the I-League to avoid relegation.

Nabi's statement

While there were no shortage of word attacks across parties, an emotional letter by the injured Nabi went viral even though, back in the day, the internet was still at a nascent stage in India. In his letter, Nabi had written, "My injury was one of the reasons behind Mohun Bagan's decision to not continue (in the second half of the derby). Mohun Bagan were forced to take such a strong decision, keeping in mind the safety of players and fans.

"Had the game continued in the second half, spectators or players could have sustained more serious injuries. While supporting the club's decision (not to continue) that day, I would like to state that Mohun Bagan wouldn't have faced such severe punishment had I died that day," as quoted by TOI.

Over the decade, the derby has become more civilised, but sparks do fly often, and we can expect a few on October 19 when the two Kolkata giants take on each other.