State Vigilance bureau has given an ultimatum of 20 days to the Indian Olympic Association officials to come up with reasons on basis of which the list was prepared for the purchase of sports equipment. The bureau sleuths on Monday cross examined the accused as well as the witnesses in the NGOC equipment purchase scam and fixed the next date for questioning on January 12, 2015.
“ A final ultimatum has been given to ASV Prasad as well as lalit Bhanot to submit all the details before the Vigilance Bureau regarding preparations of the list forwarded to the Government of India which was taken as the base for the preparation of the list against which the tender was floated for purchase of equipments,” said an official in the Vigilance department.
The list comprised different sports equipments including quantity and brand of the sports items to be purchased, added the official. The Bureau on Monday questioned former Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president Suresh Kalmadi, IOA Technical Director ASV Prasad and National Games Organizing Committee (NGOC) Treasurer Madhu Kant Pathak.
Sources revealed that some evidences have also been found against Kalmadi, who was interrogated and is likely to be summoned again by the Bureau. Sports equipment purchase committee was formed before the National Games were organized in Jharkhand in which Bhanot was the Chairman, while Prasad and Harish Sharma were appointed as members.
According to the statements recorded by the IOA officials, Bhanot being busy with the Commonwealth Games had authorized Prasad and Sharma for preparing the list for the purchase of sports equipments. Since Sharma is no more, the onus lies only on Prasad who made an approval for the purchase of the sports equipments.
Prasad, who stated that he could not recall whether any meeting was conducted for the preparations of the list or not, has been given an ultimatum to get back with the details on the basis of which he approved the list of equipments purchased during the National Games. Both the former IOA president and its technical director have been under the scanner after their names surfaced during interrogation of National Games scam accused and Jharkhand Olympic Association general secretary S.M. Hashmi who is currently in jail.
Working Chairman of National Games Organising Committee R K Anand and former Secretary General lalit Bhanot, who were also summoned by the vigilance bureau failed to appear today citing family issues. The investigation into the scam was started after Jharkhand Wrestling Association General Secretary Bhola Nath Singh lodged a complaint with the vigilance bureau accusing Anand, National Games Organizing Committee (NGOC) Organising Secretary SM Hashmi, Treasurer Madhukant Pathak and Mishra for financial irregularities in the purchase of equipment for the games.
Based on his complaint, the vigilance bureau filed an FIR on October 6 against these persons and conducted raids on the premises of some of the NGOC office bearers. The bureau arrested the Organising Committee Chairman of 34th National Games S M Hashmi and former Sports Director P C Mishra on October 14 in connection with the case sending them to judicial custody.