Will India Escape The Olympic Ban?

When sports and corruption join hands it leads to catastrophe, causing distress to the athletes who put their heart and soul in the sport. Suresh Kalmadi abdicated his President’s post in the Indian Olympic Association, a post he held for 16 years, after he was alleged with corruption charges. After he stepped down, Abhay Singh Chautala and Randhir Singh decided to contest for the posts on the committee.

A lot of information has been reveled since then, even this, that the top officials were elected unopposed, much before the poll date.
Most controversial is the return of Lalit Bhanot to the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), as the new secretary general, and it has raised many questions across the country calling the election futile.
Now stuck with tainted officials India’s suspension from the Olympic movement is to be known in the near future, but can India escape the ban is hard to say. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has its meeting set in Lausanne on December 4^th and 5^th. At the meeting it will be decided if India should be suspended for breaking the Olympic agreement in its election process, as reported by AFP.

The IOA has been asked by Delhi court to hold the elections as per the government sports code, but instead the IOC wanted it to abide by the Olympic treaty which favours autonomy.

The association elected Lalit Bhanot after the IOC member Randhir Singh removed his name from the contest, leaving Lalit Bhanot unopposed to be elected as the IOA’s secretary general.

Bhanot was released on bail after being in custody for 11 months last year over corruption charges during the 2010 Commonwealth Games held in New Delhi, when he was at the same position of secretary general of the organising committee.
In October the IOC Ethics Commission warned the Indian committee against keeping Bhanot or IOA’s former head Suresh Kalmadi, who is also out on bail over corruption allegations. 
About Bhanot contesting elections Chautala said there is nothing wrong with it as Bhanot hasn’t been convicted. Chautala said, “Many people have cases pending against them, but they can’t be called guilty till the courts say so.” He added, “Bhanot has every right to contest, “as reported by AFP.
Chautala informed that at the Executive Board meeting in Lausanne two of the IOA members had been deputed to meet the IOC representatives before the probable poll against India.

India’s suspension from IOC membership means India would not receive IOC funding and its members would be banned from attending Olympic events and meetings.
The Indian athletes would be excluded from competing in the Olympics bearing the national flag. However, the IOC probably would allow them to take part under the Olympic flag.
Abhinav Bindra, India’s lone individual Olympic gold medalist spoke after seeing Bhanot elected as the IOA secretary general. He said that it makes his ‘blood boil.’ He further said, “It’s about politics and stooping to a new low,” as reported the AFP. He finds it agonizing to see such people taken back.
However he claimed, “If our Olympic association is banned, it could be a blessing in disguise. With no multi-sport event in 2013, Indian athletes could… unite to change the present system.”
Clean Sports India (CSI), an organization formed by former sportspersons hoping corruption free sports administration has also supported the IOC’s terms.

Morad Ali Khan, CSI official and former shooter said “If medicines do not work, it needs a surgery,” he added, “IOC’s threat of suspension is a surgery for the Indian sporting system,” as reported by AFP.
The ban for India from Olympics will be no doubt embarrassing. However, with no multi disciplinary actions in 2013 some feel that this step could be a better opportunity for a clean-up process in the Indian sports league.

Fresh charges in CWG scam

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed its charge-sheet in a special CBI court on Friday in connection with alleged siphonning of funds during Queen’s Baton Relay held in London in the run up to Commonwealth Games 2010.

The agency has named the Organising Committee officials T S Darbari, Sanjay Mohindroo, Jeychandran and the London-based businessman Ashish Patel and his two companies A M Car n Van Hire and A M Films in the charge-sheet.

The agency has booked the accused under the Indian Penal Code sections relating to criminal conspiracy to cheat and forgery besides violations of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

This is the second charge-sheet after Timing, Scoring and Results case out of the 18 cases registered by the agency for alleged irregularities in the Commonwealth Games.

The CBI has alleged that the Organising Committeee members conspired to award contracts of local transportation and others to Patel’s firms at exorbitant rates during the event held in London in 2009.

PTI

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Do Politicians Really Enjoy the Money They Make?

Everybody is looking at how to make more money. And while we are talking about everybody, how can our beloved politicians not feature in the rat race. Our great Indian politicians spend hours at a stretch in devising error proof strategies to loot people and fill their bank accounts. But the irony of the entire situation is that, do they actually get a chance to enjoy the money they skim. Despite being loaded with millions they still cannot flaunt a BMW or an Armani outfit. But there has to be an exception everywhere. The Iron lady of India Jayalalitha has no hitches in flaunting whatever she has achieved.

If we were to look at different politicians who were involved in various scams and earned big fat money then the list would be never ending. So let’s take a look at few prominent politicians who made corruption the limelight of India.

A.Raja- 2G Scam

He is someone associate to everytime you hear about the 2G spectrum financial scandal in the Telecommunications and IT Ministry. This is the largest political corruption case in the Indian history, a scam worth 176,000 crore. This was followed by his resignation and a raid at his residence by the CBI. Raja was involved in illegally undercharging mobile telephony companies for allocating licenses, which they would use to create 2G subscriptions for cell phones. He arranged the sale of the 2G spectrum licenses below their market value. The estimate to Raja’s wealth is a big amount of 3,000 crore. His personal income increased from 11.47 lakh to 22.12 lakh from 2009 to 2010. Despite making so much money and his newly conquered wealth, he is confined within the walls of Tihar Jail.

Suresh Kalmadi- CWG Scam

Once belonging to the Indian Sports fraternity, Suresh Kalmadi, tainted former CWG Organising Committee chairman, gave rise to the CMG scam for awarding illegal contracts to a Swiss firm for Timing Scoring Result system for the 2010 Commonwealth Games causing a loss of 95 crore to the exchequer. It is estimated that out of 70000 crore spent on the Games, only half the said amount was spent on Indian sportspersons. Kalmadi and his team were in a habit of in the habit of handing out contracts to firms that provided equipment or services at exorbitant rates. During the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, Kalmadi had declared assets worth 12.81 crore while filing nomination from Pune. He had claimed that he owned agriculture land worth 1.38 lakh and house and apartments worth 2.49 crore. What a pity for this man, who looted the public to build his wealth and is now using it to cure his new crisis ‘dementia’, a disease related to memory loss.

BS Yeddyurappa- Land Scam

Every scam must have something unique in it to make money, take a look at the multi-crore land scam by the former Karnataka Chief Minister and the BJP leader BS Yeddyurappa that had all the suspense and drama a scam needs. He made a sincere effort in bringing a complete change in every rule stated in the book, only to ensure allotment of land for his sons and other family members. He gave away two acres of industrial land to his family firm in Bangalore, two acres to his daughter’s BPO firm, a residential plot to his son in Bangalore, 134 acres (mining lease) to his followers and residential plots to his relatives in Mysore. He made sure the lands were de-notified in return for investments in his family firms or lands were allotted on a preferential basis to enable the business growth of these companies. With 15 illegal transactions carried out by the CM, his family made around 190 crore. According to Yeddyurappa’s affidavit, the assets owned by him are worth 1. 82 Crore while liabilities are 2.59 Lakhs. This bumpy ride gradually led to a downfall of Yeddyurappa.

Madhu Koda- Hawala Scam

Another feather in the cap of the Indian corruption list is Hawala Scam by the former Jharkand Chief Minister,’ Madhu Koda’ was responsible for a scam worth over 4000 Crore. This corrupt politician exploited the state’s natural resources by licensing illegal mining leases and hiding the wealth collective during the undertaking. You would be astonished on reading the eventful life this man enjoyed. From being a labourer who worked in the mines to receiving all the benefits by capturing the Chief Minister’s chair and now the district jail, he was charged with washing off money. He has propery worth 130 Crore. And the government is set to confiscate assets worth 125.

Mayawati- Power Scam

Someone who didn’t leave even a single opportunity to misuse her power is Mayawati. The mother of all scams, who uses shoddy way to get funds. She is accused of 3,000 Crore power scam. The state-owned Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation sacrificed lower rate of power from the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) and other agencies, and made an agreement with five private power companies to purchase 5,000 crore units of power from July 2011 to June 2012 at a much higher rate. She was also charged with corruption when the Taj Heritage corridor case was uncovered. Mayawati’s government is involved in 100 scams worth 2.54 lakh crore and 4 lakh crore scams of central government. Her net worth at present is more than 87 crore, a gain of at least 35 crore over her 2007 declaration of 52 crore. With more than 67 percent returns in three years. She is the most corrupt politician India has ever seen.

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