Commonwealth Games scam: I am innocent till proven guilty, says Kalmadi

New Delhi and Mumbai: On a cold Delhi morning, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) turned the heat up for Suresh Kalmadi, the chairman of the Commonwealth Games Organizing Committee.  (Read: Who is Suresh Kalmadi?)

The CBI raided Mr Kalmadi's homes in Delhi, Mumbai and Pune, his office at Phoenix Mills in Mumbai, his farmhouse in Pune, and the residence of his Personal Secretary, Manoj Bhure.

The CBI raid at Kalmadi's Delhi house continued for eight hours and at the end of it, the CBI sleuths allegedly seized Kalmadi's laptops, papers and hard disks. Kalmadi denied that documents are missing.

After the CBI raided his homes, Kalmadi said, "I am innocent till proven guilty." He also said that he was ready for any investigation. The the chairman of the Commonwealth Games Organizing Committee said that he did not take any decisions alone.

The CBI has allegedly said that Mr Kalmadi is trying to "block" its inquiry into the corruption that became the trademark of the Commonwealth Games, held in Delhi in October this year.  The weeks before the Games saw as much controversy over the financial somersaults pulled off by those in charge as the shoddy preparations that made international headlines.  

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Three of Mr Kalmadi's former aides have been arrested for their role in allowing - and in some cases, facilitating - contracts that saw companies charging the Games bizarrely-high rates for services and products. The overlays in particular - moveable equipment like treadmills and air conditioners - shocked the country. Treadmills were rented for nearly Rs eight and a half lakh a month.  Contracts for sponsorship and broadcast rights also showed congenital and blatant financial manipulation.

Mr Kalmadi has repeatedly protested his innocence.  However, his political isolation was confirmed in November when he was dropped as the Secretary of the Congress Parliamentary Party. (Read: Suresh Kalmadi sacked from senior Congress post)

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The raids began at 7 am this morning.  Much too late, says the BJP. "Why so much of a delay, why so much of documents being allowed to be misplaced deliberately? I think this explanation is required...so much delay in raiding the premises of Kalmadi, who almost became a disgrace for the country. It is a very sorry state of affairs," said party spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad. (Read: Kalmadi should turn approver, says BJP)

The CBI had recently written to the Cabinet Secretary Stating that Kalmadi and his Deputy, Lalit Bhanot, needed to be dropped from the Organizing Committee because they were trying to block the CBI's investigation.  Critical documents that could serve as evidence against Kalmadi and company have disappeared from the Organizing Committee's office in Delhi.