CBI close corruption case against former IOA president Narinder Batra

After nearly two years, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has closed a corruption case against former Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president Narinder Dhruv Batra and Hockey India Executive Director Cdr R K Srivastava for not finding evidence of wrongdoing against them, officials said Friday.

The CBI had registered an FIR in July 2022 after its three-month-long preliminary enquiry report found prima facie material indicating “commissions of cognizable offences” relating to criminal conspiracy, criminal breach of trust, and corruption against Batra.

Some Hockey India officials including its Executive Director R K Srivastava, former president Rajinder Singh and former secretary general Mohd Mushtaque Ahmad were also booked.

The CBI could not find enough evidence against Batra, Singh, Ahmad and Srivastava after over two years of investigation to file a charge sheet, the officials said.

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The central agency has now filed a closure report before a special court. The court will decide whether to accept the report and close the matter or direct the agency to investigate further.

The officials said the case had started after a complaint alleged that Batra had got his office in the IOA Bhawan renovated in violation of norms.

The FIR alleged that the accused “executed the work of renovation & furnishing of the office of the President of IOA without prior approval of Executive Board of Hockey India,” a CBI spokesperson had said after the agency conducted searches on 18 July, 2022.

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It was further alleged that records were fabricated and falsified to justify and cover up the fraudulent expenditure.

Batra ceased to be the IOA president when the Delhi High Court, on 25 May, 2022, struck down the post of ’life member’ in Hockey India.

In three handwritten notes, Batra had officially tendered his resignations from the IOA, International Olympic Committee (IOC) and International Hockey Federation (FIH). He had cited “personal reasons” behind his decision in all the letters.