The latest person to figure in the Commonwealth Games controversy is the joint secretary of the Air India Sports Control Board, Mr Ramesh Nambiar. Investigating agencies are now looking at whether Mr Nambiar, known for his proximity to the CWG Organising Committee head, Mr Suresh Kalmadi, had any hand in fixing deals with the London-based AM Films and Melbourne-based company Sports Management and Marketing (SMAM) in connection with Queen’s Baton Relay and sponsorship
commissions.
Mr Nambiar, who was chargesheeted and arrested recently by the CBI in a graft case, was not merely reinstated in Air India but was on Thursday elected joint secretary of Hockey India though he subsequently resigned from the post. Mr Nambiar had been closely working with Mr Kalmadi for nearly a decade. According to CBI documents, “further investigation in the case is continuing under the provisions of Section 173 (8), CrPC”.
Mr Nambiar was also the chairman of the OC’s Travel and Tourism Committee. Though he quit the committee last year, his resignation was apparently “put on hold since the OC has not yet been able to find a replacement”, an OC official said.
Efforts to contact Mr Nambiar failed as he did not respond to calls. When this newspaper contacted his Delhi residence, the answer provided was that he “is out of station”. The agencies were also probing the extent of Mr Nambiar’s involvement with the CWG as he continues to be the chairman of the OC’s Travel and Tourism Committee.
The CBI had on June 30 this year chargesheeted Mr Nambiar for “acting as a conduit on behalf of ex-DG, ordnance factories, to arrange graft money from suppliers”. The chargesheet had stated that Mr Nambiar “helped the then DG, ordnance factories, Kolkata, to launder ill-gotten money through the hawala channel”.
During a raid on the Nambiar residence on May 19, 2009, “Rs 22.92 lakhs were recovered”. However, on Thursday, Mr Nambiar was elected unopposed as joint secretary, Hockey India. He was arrested on May 25, 2009.
The investigating agencies are probing his involvement, if any, in getting the controversial foreign deals, which include AM Films and Sports Management and Marketing (SMAM) for the OC. Sources disclosed that Mr Nambiar has always been known for his connections in the corridors of power .
After his arrest, Mr Nambiar was suspended by Air India. It is being alleged that despite the chargesheet and records of arrest, Mr Nambiar was promptly reinstated six months ago as assistant general manager and joint secretary of Air India’s Sports Control Board. It is alleged that he was reinstated as Mr Kalmadi “pulled strings” in the government. This is being strongly denied by the Kalmadi camp.
However, when asked how and why Mr Nambiar was reinstated despite being chargesheeted by the CBI, there was no clear response from AI. The official AI spokesperson said the details of Mr Nambiar’s suspension, reinstatement etc can be made available on “by Friday afternoon since the queries were made only on Thursday evening”.