`IOA unaware of Ethics Commission showcause notice`

Indian Olympic Association (IOA) acting president Vijay Kumar Malhotra on Tuesday rubbished allegations made by senior member and eminent lawyer R.K.Anand that the former was aware of the showcause notice issued by the disbanded Ethics Commission to its president, Suresh Kalmadi.

New Delhi: Indian Olympic Association (IOA) acting president Vijay Kumar Malhotra Tuesday rubbished allegations made by senior member and eminent lawyer R.K.Anand that the former was aware of the showcause notice issued by the disbanded Ethics Commission to its president, Suresh Kalmadi.

"I am surprised by this malicious statement of Mr. Anand. Nobody ever sent me a note or gave me the copy of the `disbanded` Ethics Commission showcause notice to Mr. Kalmadi and others. I deny any knowledge about the report of this disbanded commission," Malhotra said in a statement. Malhotra wondered why Anand didn`t raise the issue during the IOA general body meeting here last December 16 when it was decided to disband the Ethics Commission and re-constitute it. "In the general body meeting of the IOA held on December 16, 2011, it was decided to revamp and reconstitute all the committees and commissions (including the Ethics Commission and Court of Arbitration Commission.) Mr. Anand was very much present in the meeting, why did not he raise this issue then and there," Malhotra asked. "What prevented Mr. Anand to tell the house about the report of the Ethics Commission, which he is flaunting now. Why he maintained silence on this issue which he is raking up now," he asked. Contrary to claims made by Anand, who is also the chairman of the Affiliation and Disputes Commission, Malhotra said that the rules of the Ethics Commission are still being framed. "As mandated by the General House, I reconstituted the commissions and committees and specifically mentioned that rules of these committees/commissions will be framed shortly." Malhotra also criticised Anand for dragging the names of the former judges who formed the Ethics Commission into the issue. "In my six decades of public life, I have always held the judiciary in highest regard. I have utmost respect for former judges also. I have never cast any aspersion on present or former judges. All the (retired) judges were retained in both the enlarged committees. So where is the question of doubting them," Malhotra wondered. "IOA has kept the International Olympic Committee (IOC) informed about the developments and Mr. Anand need not give us a threat on this issue. We are in constant touch with the IOC," he said. The disbanded Ethics Commission notice, before being disbanded, to Kalmadi, Lalit Bhanot, IOA joint secretary, and V.K. Verma, former president of Badminton Association of India (BAI) asking why their memberships should not be terminated surfaced Sunday. The showcause notice was sent December 6, 2011, six days before the committee was disbanded. Kalmadi, former chairman of the Commonwealth Games organising committee, Verma, ex director general of the organising committee, and Bhanot, former secretary general of organising committe, were released on bail last week after nine months in jail in the corruption cases relating to the Commonwealth Games. Bureau Report