Ex-Commonwealth Games head Kalmadi arrested on corruption allegations

2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games Chairman Suresh Kalmadi has been arrested following an investigation into allegations of corruption surrounding last year's event.

Kalmadi, who was removed from his post in January by new Indian Sports Minister Ajay Maken, has become the third top official to be arrested following accusations of financial irregularities against the Games' secretary general Lalit Bhanot and director general VK Verma in February.

India's Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has accused Kalmadi of illegally colluding with a Swiss firm that supplied the timing, scoring and results systems for the Games during the tender process. Kalmadi has denied any wrongdoing.

According to CBI spokesman Dharini Mishra "the CBI has arrested Suresh Kalmadi, the organising committee chairman of the Commonwealth Games 2010, for conspiracy to cause favour to a private firm based in Switzerland in awarding the contract for Timing-Scoring-Results System at an inflated cost."

Kalmadi is to appear before the Patiala House Court in Delhi later today.

Construction delays and cost overruns saw the Games budget balloon to 700 billion rupees ($14 billion) from an estimated 18.9 billion rupees ($380 million).

1st October 2010 - INDIAN CRICKET CUTS LINKS WITH LALIT MODI

10th November 2009 - KALMADI RE-ELECTED AS ASIAN ATHLETICS PRESIDENT