CWG scam: Kalmadi suffering from memory loss, may affect trial

NEW DELHI: Suresh Kalmadi, lodged in Tihar jail for over two months in connection with the multi-crore CWG scam, is suffering from dementia, a disease related to memory loss, impaired reasoning and personality changes and this may have a bearing on his ongoing trial.

The 66-year-old MP from Pune was recently taken to Lok Narayan Jai Prakash Hospital where an MRI scan was conducted on him. The tests show that he was suffering from dementia which gradually affects cognitive functions of the person affected by it, Deputy Inspector General of Tihar R N Sharma said.

He said dementia at a preliminary stage was mentioned in the medical history submitted to Jail authorities by the family members.

The MP was ailing much before he was arrested and brought to jail on the allegations of being involved in large scale corruption in the conduct of the Commonwealth Games, he said.

"We are still awaiting for a formal copy of the test conducted at the LNJP," he said.

Legal experts feel that the impact of his health condition on the trial would be determined only after it was analysed properly by medical experts.

Kalmadi's lawyer Hitesh Jain said that his client had been suffering from this problem for last four to five years and the same had been communicated to the jail and investigating authorities.

Noted lawyer K T S Tulsi said the first thing is that it needs to be established as to how long the undertrial has been suffering from dementia.