Accused in the Chhattisgarh fake CD case resurfaces in archery committee

Vinayak Padmadeo

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Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 8

Walking into an unnecessary controversy, the new president of the Archery Association of India (AAI), BVP Rao, has appointed Kailash Murarka, an accused in a sex video conspiracy, as the chairman of a new committee.

The three-member Committee on National Competition, which includes Jayanto Boro and Gunjan Abrol, was constituted on December 24 within a couple of days of Rao wresting power from Vijay Kumar Malhotra, who ruled the association for four decades.

The committee has been tasked to “look into all the matters pertaining to holding and monitoring the National Archery Championships/Competitions”.

Murarka, who is the secretary of the Chhattisgarh State Archery Association, is one of the accused in the alleged conspiracy to make a sex video of the then cabinet minister Rajesh Munat and to circulate it. As per the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) charge sheet, Murarka is alleged to have received Rs 75 lakh for the making of that ‘fake’ CD.

Murarka, who is currently out on bail, said that being accused was not the same as being convicted.

“So what if I am an accused in a case,” Murarka told The Tribune on Tuesday. “I have not been convicted yet. The case is in the court but this doesn’t mean I am guilty. These things are being raked up by the people who used to run the association for so many years,” he added.

Rao, meanwhile, said he was unaware of Murarka’s involvement in any criminal case.

“As far as the AAI is concerned, he is the secretary of our Chhattisgarh unit and that’s why he was made the chairman of the competition committee,” Rao said. “I am not aware of any charge sheet,” he added.

Munda returns

In an interesting turn of events, former Jharkhand Chief Minister Arjun Munda became the president of the Jharkhand Archery Association (JAA) on Tuesday. The JAA executive committee, which met in Jamshedpur, unanimously elected Munda to replace Sunil Bhaskaran who resigned from the post.

Interestingly, Munda was barred from contesting the AAI elections by former chief election commissioner Dr SY Quraishi because he was the patron and not a part of the JAA’s executive body. Munda had then unsuccessfully attempted to get the elections postponed.

Rao is unimpressed with the development. He wrote a letter to Bhaskaran.

“…It is a matter of grave concern that no intimation about the election/ nomination/ replacement of the last two secretaries of JAA has been given to the AAI. The AAI constitution makes it obligatory for a state association to notify the AAI of its elections, to which an observer may be sent,” Rao said. “…It is general practice that in case of the president’s resignation, one of the senior vice-presidents takes charge till a proper election. We wish to know the status of your position as president and in case of your resignation, which senior vice-president has been given charge,” he added.

Despite the letter, Munda has been appointed as the JAA president.