Court allows Kalmadi to visit London for Olympics

Sacked Commonwealth Games Organising Committee chairman Suresh Kalmadi, accused in a Games-related graft case, was on Friday allowed by a Delhi court to go to London for the 2012 Olympics.

Special CBI judge Talwant Singh allowed Kalmadi's plea to visit London from July 26 to August 13, while ordering him to furnish a bond of Rs 10 lakh and surety of the same amount.

The court also made it clear that Kalmadi is allowed to visit London for the purpose of the 2012 Olympics only.

"Accused no 1 (Kalmadi) is a member of International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) Council and president of Asian Athletics Association (AAA) and arguments on charge on his behalf are already over. The arguments on charge of the other accused in the case are going on and it will take time in concluding.

"Accordingly, the application of Kalmadi is allowed," the judge said.

The court also noted that no adjournment would be sought on behalf of Kalmadi and his counsel will remain present in the proceedings during his absence.

Seeking the court's permission to visit the United Kingdom for the Games from July 26 to August 13, Kalmadi had also placed on record the invitation from the IAAF Council and the general programme schedule of the Olympics and details of the ticket sent to him by the association's general secretary Essar Gabriel.

The Lok Sabha MP and 10 others have been charge-sheeted by the CBI under various provisions of the IPC and Prevention of Corruption Act for allegedly "illegally" awarding a contract to install Timing, Scoring and Results (TSR) system for the 2010 Commonwealth Games to Swiss Timing, causing a loss of over Rs 90 crore to the exchequer.