Malhotra officiating IOA president in Kalmadi’s absence

April 26th, 2011 - 9:43 pm ICT by IANS  

New Delhi, April 26 (IANS) Senior vice-president Vijay Kumar Malhotra will officiate as president of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) in the absence of Suresh Kalmadi, who is now in police custody for investigations into award of contract to a Swiss firm for timekeeping and scoring equipment for the Commonwealth Games.

A meeting of the senior IOA officials at Malhotra’s house Tuesday decided that as the senior most vice-president he will discharge the duties as “officiating president” in the “long absence of president.”

Kalmadi, who was the chairman of the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee, Tuesday was sent to eight days’ police custody after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested him Monday on charges of irregularities in awarding contracts for the 2010 Commonwealth Games. He was elected IOA president in 1996.

Malhotra said the IOA executive board will soon be meeting to take stock of the situation and decide the future course of action. The date for the meeting will be decided once IOA secretary general (Randhir Singh) returns to Delhi.

“I have taken over as the officiating president of the IOA. Will call the executive board meeting of the IOA as soon as possible, in accordance with the constitution, after the secretary general returns to Delhi,” said Malhotra.

Another vice-president, Tarlochan Singh, told IANS that members present at the meeting contacted on phone other IOA officials based in different parts of the country and they were all unanimous that Malhotra should officiate as president till Kalmadi returns to assume office.

Section 13 B of the IOA constitution makes it clear that “In the absence of the president, the senior vice president shall preside over the meetings. In the event of prolonged absence of the president, the senior vice president will take over the duties and responsibilities of the president during the period of absence.”

Under the IOA constitution, Kalmadi cannot be removed unless he himself decides to go or a no-confidence motion is caried by a two-thirds majority. Both are unlikely to happen till the case against him is disposed of.

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