New Delhi, February 24: Ex-Commonwealth Games Organising Committee chief Suresh Kalmadi gave a weak defence for his case after the arrest of his close aides, saying that only the CWG OC members were being targeted by the investigative agencies while all other government officials who were a part of the mega-event have walked scot-free.
“Everybody has said that the secular conduct of the games was superb. All the documents (concerning the gathering of the material) have been given to the CBI. It is unfortunate that only the officers of the Organising Committee are being questioned,” Kalmadi told a press conference.
Kalmadi also asserted his rhetoric that all the decisions were unanimous and there were many other government officials in the agreement and execution of the expenditure overlays.
“The additions have been made by various other bodies which had senior government officers. All decisions s have been taken with consent of everybody. I’m surprised that only OC is being questioned, no government officers questioned. No construction cost was a part of the Organising Committee’s workings,” Kalmadi added, hinting at deeply entrenched corruption in the total working of the CWG.
“Ministry of Youth Affairs Sports has been a part of all the decisions. It is a well balanced collection of various agencies and all decisions were unanimous. Why only the OC is being singled out? My request for a Joint Parliamentary Committee is still on so we can settle all matters. Right now the perception is that OC did all wrong, none of the decisions were my own,” Kalmadi said before abruptly ending his session with the media without answering a lot of questions.
Earlier yesterday, Ex-CWG OC secretary general Lalit Bhanot was arrested along with VK Verma after CBI questioned them in connection with alleged irregularities in a Rs 107 crore contract that had been awarded to a Swiss time-keeping company.
The two ex-CWG officials will be produced in court today, Thursday while sources said that Suresh Kalmadi himself faced arrest within a week.
Bhanot has been booked by the probe agency under sections 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 420 (cheating) of IPC and various sections of Prevention of Corruption Act, along with Switzerland—based firm Swiss Timing Ltd and other unknown persons.
Last year, the CBI had carried out searches at 11 premises in the National Capital Region, including residences of Mr. Bhanot and another CWG official VK Verma. Premises of certain other officials including R.K. Sacheti, Joint Director General (Coordination) and Sangeeta Welingkar, member of the Games Image and Look Group were also searched.
-Agencies