State Olympic body wants probe into Kalmadi role

Ranchi: Days after two of its top officials were arrested on charges of financial irregularities during the 34th National Games, a section of the state Olympic association accused former Indian Olympic Association (IOA) chief Suresh Kalmadi of playing a key role in the scam.
Several officials of Jharkhand Olympic Association (JOA) demanded probe into Kalmadi’s role in the embezzlement of funds to the tune of Rs 50 crore that led to the arrest of the sports body’s secretary general S M Hashmi and former state director P C Mishra by the vigilance bureau on October 13.
“A scam of such magnitude would not have been possible without the support of the IOA boss. Kalmadi is a corrupt man and it came out in the open after the 2010 Commonwealth Games,” said a top official of Jharkhand State Rifle Association (JSRA) on condition of anonymity.
Another official from the state wrestling association corroborated the statement. “Hashmi held a portfolio in IOA at that time and was in the good books of Kalmadi. Kalmadi certainly knows a lot and must be quizzed,” he said.
Former Hockey player and Hockey Jharkhand official Savitri Purti also pressed for an exhaustive probe. “It is possible that IOA officials were aware of it. It needs to investigated,” Purti said.
JOA secretary general Hashmi, who was arrested along with Mishra, was in the National Games Organizing Committee that was accused of milking public money to the tune of Rs 50 crore during the Rs 650-crore sporting extravaganza in 2011, and was the general secretary of JOA around that time.
Meanwhile, JOA said the arrest would have little impact on its preparations ahead of the 35th National Games in Kerala next year. “The arrest will have little effect on state’s preparations for the games. Most of the teams have been selected and will join the respective camps starting next month,” said state wrestling association president and JOA member Bhola Singh.
On the other hand, JOA appointed state Wushu Association president Shivendra Dubey as the interim secretary general while elections are slated next year.