Kalmadi sacked, Malhotra named IOA acting president

The Pune strongman also had a slipper hurled at him by a lawyer, who was later found to be mentally unsound.

Suresh Kalmadi and two others—joint director general (sports) A S V Prasad and deputy director general (logistics) Surjit Lal—were sent to CBI custody to help the probe agency in unearthing the alleged conspiracy in award of Rs 107-crore timing-scoring-result system’s contract to a Swiss firm.

Hours later, the IOA announced that its senior most vice president Malhotra will take over as interim president.

An informal meeting of the IOA executive board decided to replace Kalmadi. The interim president told members that he would shortly convene a meeting of the board. The board’s main agenda would be to choose the new president.

Board member Tarlochan Singh said after the meeting that Malhotra was chosen unanimously by the members present.

“We will decide at the next meeting as to who should take over as chairman,” he added.
Singh said: “The executive board of the IOA met informally and the members present decided that (choosing Malhotra) since the IOA president has been arrested creating an unprecedented situation.”

He added that at the next formal meeting, voting will take place to elect the president.
Secretary-General Randhir Singh was not present at the meeting.

High drama
There was high drama on the court premises in the afternoon when Kalmadi was being taken to be produced before the special CBI court. A man, identified as Manoj Sharma, threw his slipper at the 66-year-old Pune MP.

The slipper fell short of Kalmadi and policemen accompanying him and two other accused immediately pounced on Sharma. Sharma was then taken to the Tilak Marg police station for questioning.

According to the police, Sharma, from Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh, seemed mentally unstable.

He was a lawyer by qualification but had been debarred from practising due to his alleged indulgence in some acts unbecoming of his profession, they said.Sharma, who carried a letter claiming himself to be anti-corruption crusader, is a father of two children. He had come to Delhi just four days ago, they added.

Malhotra appointed interim prez of IOA
 Indian Olympic Association’s (IOA) senior most vice president V K Malhotra will take over as interim president of the IOA following the arrest of incumbent chief Suresh Kalmadi. This was decided at an informal meeting of the executive board of the IOA held here on Tuesday.

 After an executive board meeting, board member Tarlochan Singh declared that Malhotra was chosen as interim president unanimously by the members present.