Suresh Kalmadi and Abhay Chautala were appointed life presidents of the Indian Olympic Association on Tuesday. Kalmadi was accused of corruption while handing out contracts for the Commonwealth Games held in Delhi in 2010. He had been arrested and later granted bail in the case. Kalmadi was formerly a member of the Congress.
Reacting to the news, Sports Minister Vijay Goel said he was “shocked” and that he would seek a report on the appointment. “Both [Kalmadi and Chautala] are facing serious corruption charges,” Goel told ANI.
The scam was one that had attracted much international media coverage as well, especially after facilities for sportspersons at the Games was found unsatisfactory. The Central Bureau of Investigation had probed the scam and filed a chargesheet in connection with it, naming Kalmadi and others, in 2011.
Kalmadi had been accused of giving out inflated contracts for the Games, including one worth Rs 141 crore to Swiss Timing for equipment. The deal was inflated by Rs 95 crores. Other colleagues of Kalmadi’s like Lalit Bhanot and V K Verma had also been arrested. Sheila Dikshit, who was Delhi chief minister at the time, had refuted allegations of corruption against her government and claimed, “Everything was done keeping in mind the national interest and prestige.”
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