Suresh Kalmadi

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Suresh Kalmadi
Born (1944-05-01) May 1, 1944 (age 69)
Madras, India[1]
Nationality Indian
Allegiance Indian National Congress
Spouse Meera Kalmadi

Suresh Kalmadi (born May 1, 1944) is an Indian politician and senior sports administrator. He was formerly a member of the Indian National Congress. He is a Member of Parliament from Pune.

On April 25, 2011 Kalmadi was arrested by CBI for awarding illegal contracts to a Swiss firm for Timing-Scoring-Result (TSR) system for the 2010 Commonwealth Games causing a loss of Rs 95 crore to the exchequer.[2] Kalmadi's membership of the Indian National Congress Party was suspended after being arrested and charged with corruption. On April 26, 2011 he was sacked from the post of president of the Indian Olympic Association.[3]

Contents

Early Life, Air Force Services [edit]

Suresh Kalmadi at the inauguration of the First World Konkani Convention in 1995. He is dressed in a black coat, to the right.

Suresh Kalmadi studied at St. Vincent's High School, Pune in the state of Maharashtra in South West India; and then at Fergusson College, Pune. In 1960, he joined the National Defence Academy, Pune, and in 1964, he joined the Air Force Flying Colleges in Jodhpur and Allahabad. He served the Indian Air Force between 1964–1972 and was a recipient of eight medals in his career. After a premature discharge from the Air Force,[citation needed] Kalmadi has served in various capacities with the Congress since and is now one of the wealthiest businessman as well in Pune.

Political career [edit]

He was the president of the Maharashtra Pradesh Youth Congress from 1978–1980. He was a member of the Rajya Sabha for three terms from 1982 to 1996, and again in 1998. He was also elected to the 11th Lok Sabha in 1996, and to the 14th Lok Sabha in 2004. Presently, he is the sitting MP from Pune. During the tenure of P. V. Narasimha Rao as the Prime Minister of India, Suresh Kalmadi served as the Minister of State for Railways from 1995 to 1996.[4]

He was the President of the Indian Olympic Association and Chairman of the Organizing Committee of recently concluded Commonwealth Games held in Delhi from 3 to 14 October 2010. On October 11, 2008, in Pune, Kalmadi was elected president of the Indian Olympics Association for the fourth time.[5]

Controversies [edit]

Formula One 2011 [edit]

Mr Kalmadi, asf the Indian Olympic Association, signed an agreement to bring the Formula One Grand Prix to India in 2007. Later that year, the UK-based organizers Formula One Administration Limited signed a Rs 1600-crore contract in this regard with India-based JPSK Sports Private Limited. Records obtained by The Indian Express showed that Pune-based Sulba Realty Private Limited was a 13% shareholder in JPSK, along with Jaypee Group (74%). Kalmadi’s son Sumeer was a director in Sulba Realty at the time. While the JP in JPSK stood for Jaypee Group, it was alleged that the SK was a reference to Suresh/Sumeer Kalmadi. Records from the Registrar of Companies, India showed that a year after the company was floated, Kalmadi’s daughter, Payal Aditya Bhartia, and his son-in-law, Aditya Bhartia, joined JPSK as Independent Directors.[6]

Commonwealth Games 2010 scam [edit]

Main article: Concerns and controversies over the 2010 Commonwealth Games

During the felicitation ceremony that had been arranged to honour the three Indian medalists at the 2008 Summer Olympics, Kalmadi reportedly walked out because he had not been offered a chair next to the Vice-President of India Hamid Ansari.[7] In January 2010, former Indian hockey captain Pargat Singh accused Kalmadi of being part of a 'sports mafia'.[8]

Kalmadi's conduct around the 2010 Commonwealth Games has come under scrutiny, with the Chief Vigilance Commission (India's anti-corruption organisation) asking the Central Bureau of Investigation to probe certain aspects of the games' organization.[9] For this, the opposition demanded Kalmadi's resignation.[10] However, Suresh Kalmadi continues to deny corruption charges.[11]

On April 25, 2011 after being questioned over alleged irregularities in the conduct of Queen's Baton Relay (QBR) held in London in 2009, CBI arrested Kalmadi under Sections 120 B and 420 (criminal conspiracy and cheating) of the Indian Penal Code in the Commonwealth Games Time Scoring Equipment scam.[12] On January 18, 2012 Suresh Kalmadi was granted bail by the Delhi High Court. Suresh Kalmadi was in Jail for 10 months and the court asked him to pay a surety amount of 5 lakhs.[13] Kalmadi, an accused in CWG graft related cases, was allowed by a Delhi court on 13 July 2012 to go to London for 2012 Olympics.[14] He was, however, restrained on 25 July 2012 by the Delhi High court from participating in the opening ceremony of the London Olympics, saying his participation can cause "embarrassment" to the nation.[15]

See also [edit]

References [edit]

  1. ^ "Lok Sabha Parliament of India MP: Suresh Kalmadi, Full Biographical Official Government of India Profile". Government of India. Retrieved 16 May 2011. 
  2. ^ "Congress MP has been accused of awarding illegal contracts to a Swiss firm". The Times of India. 26 April 2011. Retrieved 26 April 2011. 
  3. ^ "Tained Kalmadi sacked as IOA chief". The Times of India. 26 April 2011. Retrieved 26 April 2011. 
  4. ^ "Official website of Suresh Kalmadi". Retrieved 2008-07-27. 
  5. ^ Vaid, Amit (2008-10-11). "Indian Olympic Association Re-elects Suresh Kalmadi As President". ABC Live. Retrieved October 14, 2008. 
  6. ^ Sarin, Ritu (22 August 2009). "For Kalmadi, F1 is Family 1st". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 26 April 2011. Retrieved 26 April 2011. 
  7. ^ Vijapurkar, Mahesh (2008-09-05). "This is not on, Mr Suresh Kalmadi". Rediff.com. Retrieved October 14, 2008. 
  8. ^ Staff writer. "fullstory". Press trust of India. 
  9. ^ Thakur, Pradeep (2010-07-29). "14 Commonwealth Games projects under CBI, CVC scanner". Times of India. Retrieved August 3, 2010. 
  10. ^ "BJP demands Suresh Kalmadi's resignation – India – DNA". Dnaindia.com. 2010-08-12. Retrieved 2010-10-12. 
  11. ^ Principal Correspondent (2010-07-31). "Sport / Other Sports : CWG: OC denies corruption charges". The Hindu. Retrieved 2010-10-12. 
  12. ^ "Kalmadi arrested by CBI in CWG scam case.". CNBC. 25 April 2011. Retrieved 25 April 2011. 
  13. ^ "Kalmadi gets bail after nine months in jail". The Statesman. January 19, 2012. Retrieved 19 January 2012. 
  14. ^ "CWG scam: Court allows Kalmadi to visit London for Olympics". 13 July 2012. 
  15. ^ "Kalmadi restrained from going to London for Olympics". 25 July 2012. 
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