Suresh Kalmadi
Encyclopedia
Suresh Kalmadi is an India
n 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. 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
.
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, Kalmadi ran a small fast food shop in Pune and was spotted by Sanjay Gandhi and was, along with several other young people, persuaded to join the Congress Party. Kalmadi has served effectively in various capacities with the Congress since and is now one of the wealthiest businessman as well in Pune even from his known sources of income.
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.
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.
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.
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. In January 2010, former Indian hockey captain Pargat Singh accused Kalmadi of being part of a 'sports mafia'.
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.
For this, the opposition demanded Kalmadi's resignation. However, Suresh Kalmadi continues to deny corruption charges.
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.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n politician and senior sports administrator. He was formerly a member of the Indian National Congress
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
. He is a Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
from Pune
Pune
Pune , is the eighth largest metropolis in India, the second largest in the state of Maharashtra after Mumbai, and the largest city in the Western Ghats. Once the centre of power of the Maratha Empire, it is situated 560 metres above sea level on the Deccan plateau at the confluence of the Mula ...
.
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
2010 Commonwealth Games
The 2010 Commonwealth Games, officially known as the XIX Commonwealth Games, were held in Delhi, India, from 3 to 14 October 2010. A total of 6,081 athletes from 71 Commonwealth nations and dependencies competed in 21 sports and 272 events, making it the largest Commonwealth Games till date...
causing a loss of Rs 95 crore to the exchequer. 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
Indian Olympic Association
The Indian Olympic Association is the body responsible for selecting athletes to represent India at the Olympic Games, Asian Games and other international athletic meets and for managing the Indian teams at the events...
.
Early Life, Air Force Services
Suresh Kalmadi studied at St. Vincent's High School, PunePune
Pune , is the eighth largest metropolis in India, the second largest in the state of Maharashtra after Mumbai, and the largest city in the Western Ghats. Once the centre of power of the Maratha Empire, it is situated 560 metres above sea level on the Deccan plateau at the confluence of the Mula ...
in the state of Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
in South West India
South West India
South West India extends over the regions in the states and territories of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry, Goa, Orissa, and Lakshadweep....
; and then at Fergusson College
Fergusson College
Fergusson College is a degree college in western India, situated in the city of Pune. It was founded in 1885 by the Deccan Education Society and at that time was the first privately governed college in India. It is named after Sir James Fergusson, the Governor of Bombay, who donated a then...
, Pune. In 1960, he joined the National Defence Academy, Pune, and in 1964, he joined the Air Force Flying Colleges in Jodhpur
Jodhpur
Jodhpur , is the second largest city in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is located west from the state capital, Jaipur and from the city of Ajmer. It was formerly the seat of a princely state of the same name, the capital of the kingdom known as Marwar...
and Allahabad
Allahabad
Allahabad , or Settled by God in Persian, is a major city of India and is one of the main holy cities of Hinduism. It was renamed by the Mughals from the ancient name of Prayaga , and is by some accounts the second-oldest city in India. It is located in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh,...
. He served the Indian Air Force
Indian Air Force
The Indian Air Force is the air arm of the Indian armed forces. Its primary responsibility is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial warfare during a conflict...
between 1964–1972 and was a recipient of eight medals in his career. After a premature discharge from the Air Force, Kalmadi ran a small fast food shop in Pune and was spotted by Sanjay Gandhi and was, along with several other young people, persuaded to join the Congress Party. Kalmadi has served effectively in various capacities with the Congress since and is now one of the wealthiest businessman as well in Pune even from his known sources of income.
Political career
He was the president of the Maharashtra Pradesh Youth Congress from 1978-1980. He was a member of the Rajya SabhaRajya Sabha
The Rajya Sabha or Council of States is the upper house of the Parliament of India. Rajya means "state," and Sabha means "assembly hall" in Sanskrit. Membership is limited to 250 members, 12 of whom are chosen by the President of India for their expertise in specific fields of art, literature,...
for three terms from 1982 to 1996, and again in 1998. He was also elected to the 11th Lok Sabha
11th Lok Sabha
List of Members of the 11th Lok Sabha, elected during Indian general election, 1996 held during April-May 1996. The Lok Sabha is the lower house in the Parliament of India.-Important members:* Speaker:...
in 1996, and to the 14th Lok Sabha
14th Lok Sabha
The 14th Lok Sabha was convened after the Indian general election, 2004 held in four phases during 20 April – 10 May 2004, which led to the formation of First Manmohan Singh Cabinet...
in 2004. Presently, he is the sitting MP from Pune. During the tenure of P. V. Narasimha Rao
P. V. Narasimha Rao
Pamulaparti Venkata "Narasimha Rao" was the ninth Prime Minister of India . He led an important administration, overseeing a major economic transformation and several home incidents affecting national security of India. Rao accelerated the dismantling of the Licence Raj. He is often referred to as...
as the Prime Minister of India
Prime Minister of India
The Prime Minister of India , as addressed to in the Constitution of India — Prime Minister for the Union, is the chief of government, head of the Council of Ministers and the leader of the majority party in parliament...
, Suresh Kalmadi served as the Minister of State for Railways from 1995 to 1996.
He was the President of the Indian Olympic Association
Indian Olympic Association
The Indian Olympic Association is the body responsible for selecting athletes to represent India at the Olympic Games, Asian Games and other international athletic meets and for managing the Indian teams at the events...
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.
Formula One 2011
Mr Kalmadi, as president of the Indian Olympic Association, signed an agreement to bring the Formula OneFormula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
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
The Indian Express
The Indian Express is an Indian English-language daily newspaper. It is published in Mumbai by Indian Express Group. After Ramnath Goenka's death in 1991, the group was split in 1999 among his family members into two with the southern editions taking the name The New Indian Express, while the old...
showed that Pune-based Sulba Realty Private Limited was a 13% shareholder in JPSK, along with Jaypee Group
Jaypee Group
The Jaypee Group is an Indian conglomerate based in Noida, India. It was founded by Jaiprakash Gaur which is involved in well diversified infrastructure conglomerate with business interests in Engineering & Construction, Power, Cement, Real Estate, Hospitality, Expressways, Sports & Education...
(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
Registrar of Companies, India
The Registrar of Companies India is the official agency that deals with administration of Companies Act 1956. It falls under Ministry of Corporate Affairs. .It has offices in all major states of India.The Registrar of Companies is the primary regulator for company- related matters in India. It is...
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.
Commonwealth Games 2010
During the felicitation ceremony that had been arranged to honour the three Indian medalistsIndia at the 2008 Summer Olympics
India competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, People's Republic of China. India was represented by the Indian Olympic Association . A contingent of 56 athletes represented India, and they had a support-staff of 42 officials...
at the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
, Kalmadi reportedly walked out because he had not been offered a chair next to the Vice-President of India
Vice-President of India
The Vice-President of India is the second-highest ranking government official in the executive branch of the Government of India, after the President...
Hamid Ansari. In January 2010, former Indian hockey captain Pargat Singh accused Kalmadi of being part of a 'sports mafia'.
Kalmadi's conduct around the 2010 Commonwealth Games
2010 Commonwealth Games
The 2010 Commonwealth Games, officially known as the XIX Commonwealth Games, were held in Delhi, India, from 3 to 14 October 2010. A total of 6,081 athletes from 71 Commonwealth nations and dependencies competed in 21 sports and 272 events, making it the largest Commonwealth Games till date...
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.
For this, the opposition demanded Kalmadi's resignation. However, Suresh Kalmadi continues to deny corruption charges.
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.