CBI registers case, Narinder Batra finally resigns as IOA president

New Delhi, July 18

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a case against Narinder Batra, the former president of the Indian Olympic Committee (IOA) and Hockey India, and four others for misappropriation of funds.

The case has been filed against Batra and the others “for committing illegalities for renovation & furnishing of the office of President, Indian Olympic Association during the year 2018”.

Apart from Batra, among those named are a few officials from Hockey India, including its executive director RK Srivastava, former president Rajinder Singh, former secretary Mohd Mushtaque and a few unknown officials.

“Searches were conducted today at offices of HI & IOA at Delhi; residential premises of the accused at New Delhi & Jammu which led to recovery of incriminating documents/records,” a CBI statement said.

The statement said that in 2018, the suspects “got executed the work of renovation & furnishing of the office of then President of IOA without prior approval of Executive Board of Hockey India”. “It was further alleged that in order to justify and to cover up the fraudulent expenditure at approval stage, the accused fabricated and falsified the records,” the statement added.

The matter is related to the renovation of Batra’s office on the second floor of IOA Bhawan here. As per IOA treasurer Anandeshwar Panday, who raised the issue last year, a sum of Rs 36.19 lakh was spent on the renovation. Panday alleged that a few invoices indicated that the money may have come from Hockey India, although the federation’s books had no entry of the transaction.

Resignations

In another development, Batra officially resigned from his post of IOA president, as IOC member and as the chief of International Hockey Federation (FIH) today. IOA insiders say this is an exercise in saving face as he had already been removed as IOA president by the Delhi High Court in June. “He should have resigned in May itself when the first order came,” said an IOA official. “He had no option but to resign, with the CBI registering a case against him,” he added.

The court’s vacation bench had ordered Batra’s removal while hearing a contempt case filed on behalf of former Olympian Aslam Sher Khan against Batra. Batra was deemed in contempt of a May 25 order of the Delhi High Court, which had set aside his life membership of Hockey India.