Ending months of speculation, the chief organiser of the 2010 Commonwealth Games (CWG) in Delhi, Suresh Kalmadi, was on Monday arrested following an investigation into allegations of corruption. Kalmadi was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation over alleged irregularities in the conduct of Queen?s Baton Relay (QBR) held in London in 2009.
Two officials of the 2010 Commonwealth Games Organising Committee (OC) ?Sujit Lal and ASV Prasad ? were also arrested along with Kalmadi.
Kalmadi was removed from his post as the head of the Organising Committee of CWG in January.
A spokesman for CBI said Kalmadi was arrested ?for conspiracy to cause favour to a company in Switzerland while procuring timers and scoring equipment for the games?. Kalmadi is expected to appear in court on Tuesday.
In February, organising committee secretary general Lalit Bhanot and another top official, VK Verma, were arrested and accused of financial irregularities linked to the CWG.
Kalmadi had earlier expressed his inability to appear before the CBI citing his foreign visit, saying he would return home only after April 19. But even after returning from his visit abroad, he did not turn up before the agency saying he was still not in Delhi.
The CBI had gathered fresh leads after the trip of its two-member team to London in connection with cases related to alleged irregularities in hiring of AM Films and AM Car and Van Hire Limited during QBR held in 2009 at exorbitant rates, sources in the agency said.
The team has spoken to the London-based owner of both the companies ? Ashish Patel ? who has provided information and documents with regard to the allegedly overvalued deal, the sources said.