Sports Minister Ajay Maken on Monday said that Suresh Kalmadi, accused of corruption in the multi-crore Commonwealth Games scam, cannot escape from the law just because he is suffering from dementia.
According to Deputy Inspector General of Tihar R N Sharma, Kalmadi is suffering from dementia, a disease related to memory loss, impaired reasoning and personality changes.
However, Maken said it will have no bearing on Kalmadi's case and he cannot get away with his alleged involvement in the multi-crore Commonwealth Games scam.
"As far as involvement of Mr Kalmadi is concerned, no one can get away with criminal involvement by saying that he doesn't remember anything now," Maken told a television channel from the United States.
"So law will take its course; the government also did not lack behind as far as the agencies like the CBI, the CAG, Shunglu Committee -- all of them have done their work well," he added.
Maken said the evidence against Kalmadi is well-documented and he can't escape from the law.
"I don't think anyone can escape from criminal responsibility just by saying that he does not remember anything now," he said.
"Everything is in record, everything is on files and the CBI already has done so much. FIRs have been lodged, Shunglu Committee has come up with a report, CAG is going to come out with its report.
"So now he can't say that since he doesn't remember anything, he can't be found guilty. Nobody should be allowed and nobody can be allowed to come out of this."
Sharma had said on Sunday that dementia at a preliminary stage was mentioned in the medical history submitted to jail authorities by the family members of Kalmadi and that the former MP was ailing much before he was arrested on the allegations of being involved in large scale corruption in the conduct of the Commonwealth Games.
The 66-year-old Kalmadi, who has been lodged in Tihar jail for the last two months, was recently taken to Lok Narayan Jai Prakash Hospital and an MRI scan was conducted on him.
