In a letter addressed to IOC Ethics Commission chairperson Ban Ki-moon, seen by insidethegames, Mittal said there had been "gross violations" in the process which led to Batra being elected IOA President in December 2017.

Mittal also claims that Batra was not eligible to contest the vote for the IOA President or the election for the top job at the International Hockey Federation (FIH) in his compliant to the Ethics Commission.

He said Batra's membership of the IOC - linked to his function as head of the IOA - was "false" and "baseless" as he had obtained the IOA Presidency by "falsifying his eligibility".

The senior IOA official made similar allegations in a letter to FIH chief executive Thierry Weil and disciplinary commissioner Gordon Nurse.

Batra denied any wrongdoing in a WhatsApp message sent to IOC President Thomas Bach and the ruling Executive Board earlier this week.

Mittal claims, however, that an admission from Batra in his response to an earlier letter the IOA vice-president sent to the IOC that he was only a "life member" of Hockey India - and not part of its executive - when elected head of the National Olympic Committee is proof he was in breach of the rules.

He goes on to allege the IOA regulations were changed to allow Batra to run in the election and that there had been a "major cover-up".

In another development linked to the dispute between the two senior IOA officials, Mittal has been accused of "defaming" the IOA's image internationally with his repeated attacks on Batra.

According to Indian news channel Republic World, Adille Somariwala, another IOA vice-president, has written to Bach to criticise Mittal.

"It pains me to see such letters of absolutely baseless allegations being circulated to the members of the IOC," Somariwala, President of the Athletics Federation of India, said.

"The said letters from Mittal only deserve contempt and are nothing but a malicious attempt to defame the image of Batra and the IOA internationally."