Delhi: ED gives clean chit to Kalmadi in CWG case

A Delhi court on Monday formally accepted the closure report filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) into alleged irregularities in the 2010 Commonwealth Games, finding no evidence of money laundering against Suresh Kalmadi — effectively giving him a clean chit in the 15-year-old case.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which had earlier investigated the matter, had also filed a closure report. Along with Kalmadi, the court closed the case against other office-bearers of the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee (OC).

Special judge Sanjeev Aggarwal of Rouse Avenue Court observed that the prosecution had failed to establish an offence under Section 3 (money laundering) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The court noted that since no offence was found despite investigations by ED, there was no reason to continue with the case. ED, in its closure report, pointed out that with the CBI’s closure report having attained finality, no offence of money laundering was made out due to the absence of proceeds of crime.

Special judge Aggarwal said, “... no offence under Section 3 of PMLA has been made out or committed… therefore, there is no reason to continue the present ECIR (Enforcement Case Information Report), as a result, the closure report filed by the ED stands accepted.”

The case was initially registered by CBI in 2012 against then OC chairman Suresh Kalmadi, IAS officer Vijay Kumar Gautam, treasurer AK Mattoo, secretary Lalit Bhanot and others for offences of cheating, forgery, and criminal conspiracy under the IPC and Prevention of Corruption Act. The agency alleged that OC officials misconducted themselves in awarding and executing two major work contracts for the Games to Event Knowledge Services (EKS) and Ernst & Young (E&Y), causing a loss of ₹30 crore to the exchequer. EKS Switzerland and its CEO Craig Gordon MeLatchey were also named as accused.

Following the CBI probe, ED began its investigation into possible money laundering in 2013.

In 2014, the CBI filed a closure report, saying no incriminating evidence had surfaced. The report was accepted in 2016, with the court noting that OC officials had followed standard procedures to ensure quality service providers were selected for the international event.

The Congress, meanwhile, attacked the BJP after Monday’s development. “For years, the BJP ecosystem used lies to defame the Congress on issues like 2G, CWG, Robert Vadra and coal. Today, the truth stands strong and their lies have been exposed,” said Congress leader Pawan Khera. “The collapse of these fabricated cases is not just a legal victory but a moral and political indictment of the BJP’s politics of false narrative,” he added.