Senior Delhi CWG Officials Arrested on Suspicion of Corruption

The two closest aides to sacked Delhi Commonwealth Games organising committee chairman Suresh Kalmadi have both been arrested on suspicion of corruption for their involvement in the running of last year’s event.

In an interview with the BBC, a spokesman for India’s Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) stated that organising committee secretary general Lalit Bhanot and another leading executive, VK Verma, have been accused of inflating costs while procuring timers and scoring equipment from a Swiss manufacturer, Swiss Timing.

The alleged scam cost the Indian government nearly US$24m, but Swiss Timing has rejected all accusations against it with the company’s director general, Christophe Berthaud, insisting the claims were “absolutely wrong”.

Bhanot and Verma will appear in court later today, February 24, and have both denied the allegations.

Last month, new Indian Sports Minister Ajay Maken dismissed Bhanot from his role as secretary general, along with Kalmadi from the organising committee to enable police to conduct “impartial and unhindered investigations”. Pressure is now thought to be mounting on Kalmadi, with a number of similar corruption allegations made against him.