Demand to call Kalmadi before PAC, Joshi not impressed

A Congress member in Public Accounts Committee on Friday suggested calling former head of Commonwealth Games Organising Committee Suresh Kalmadi before the Parliamentary panel examining CAG report on games irregularities, but its chairman and BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi seemed disinclined.

Sanjay Nirupam made this "suggestion" when the PAC was discussing the CAG report on Commonwealth Games scam.

He said when the panel is discussing the issue, it should also summon him as a witness.

PAC Chairman Murli Manohar Joshi, while refusing to take a call on the demand immediately, is learnt to have said that if Kalmadi is called, some others may also have to summoned as witnesses, including the CBI which has probed him.

He also said that calling Kalmadi may also lead to "many other situations", a member said quoting Joshi.

He said the Committee was looking into the financial aspects and not the criminal culpability as it was not its mandate.

Supporting Nirupam, B Mahtab (Biju Janata Dal) said it was necessary to call Kalmadi as a witness as he was the one who took several decisions with regard to the preparations of the Games held in October, 2010, in Delhi.

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 alleged Time Scoring Equipment scam.

On January 18, 2012 Suresh Kalmadi was granted bail by the Delhi high court after being in jail for 10 months.

Home Secretary R K Singh also appeared before PAC on the issue of installation and purchase of equipment by ECIL, which comes under the Department of Atomic Energy.

The equipment was part of the 'integrated security system.