By IANS,
New Delhi: The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has adopted a wait and watch policy in regard to its jailed president Suresh Kalmadi, taking the stand that he has not been arrested for his role as president of the apex body of Indian sports but as the chairman of the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee.
Asked whether the IOA was standing by Kalmadi, officiating president Vijay Kumar Malhotra said: “It is not a question of siding with anybody. It is a sad reflection of Indian sports. IOA is not involved in this. Mr. Kalmadi was not arrested as the IOA president, but as the chairman of the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee.”
Malhotra said that nothing incriminating has been found against the IOA in the Commonwealth Games scam, in which the contract for TSR (timing scoring and result) system was awarded to Swiss Timing at exorbitant rates for the Games.
“Nothing has been found against us. We will take decision as per our constitution,” Malhotra said.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has named Kalmadi as the prime accused and has also called him the “mastermind” in the financial irregularities scam of the Commonwealth Games. Kalmadi, organising committee secretary Lalit Bhanot and director general V.K. Verma are languishing in Tihar Jail.
The CBI has alleged that the accused officials colluded to award the contract for the TSR system to Swiss Timing at an inflated cost of Rs.141 crore, causing a loss to the tune of Rs.95 crore to the exchequer.
Kalmadi and his team are accused of pocketing the entire amount as kickbacks. Swiss Timing, in turn, outsourced parts of the contract to Gem International and AKR Constructions.