Ministry seeks report from IOA on officials' arrest in Glasgow

NEW DELHI: The government has sought a report on how Indian Olympic Association (IOA) Secretary General RajeevMehta and international wrestling referee VirenderMalik were arrested by Police Scotland during the recently-concluded Commonwealth Games, Sports Minister SarbanandaSonowal said today.

Sonowal said his ministry will wait for the report first before thinking of any move on its part.

"We have sought a report from the IOA on the incident of arrest (in Glasgow)," Sonowal said when asked if the government was contemplating action against these two officials.

He was speaking at the sidelines of an event to felicitate Glasgow Games medal winners.

Asked if the Sports Ministry would ask Mehta to quit from his post, Sonowal said, "We will first see the report and then think of any other move."

Mehta and an unattached wrestling referee Malik were arrested by Police Scotland on August 2 for alleged drunken driving and alleged sexual assault respectively. Both were released on August 4 after the charges against them were dropped for lack of evidence.

Sports Secretary Ajit Sharan said that the IOA has been told to furnish details of the officials, who were sent to Glasgow by IOA/NSFs along with the amount paid such as air fare, boarding and lodging, local transportation, daily allowance.

"We have asked the IOA to furnish to us in writing the details of the number of officials sent by the IOA/NSFs and the total expenditure incurred during the Commonwealth Games. We have told the IOA to furnish the details to us as well as put up on the website of the IOA," Sharan said.

"We have directed to the IOA that henceforth, all such detailed information regarding expenditure on officials will have to be put up on its website for every multi-sporting events to come up in future," he said, adding that the IOA also comes under the Right to Information Act.