The Hindu : Front Page : IHF official quits after TV ‘expose’

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Tuesday, Apr 22, 2008
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IHF official quits after TV ‘expose’

K.P. Mohan

NEW DELHI: Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) secretary K. Jothikumaran resigned on Monday following a ‘sting operation’ by news channel Aaaj Tak that showed him accepting Rs. 2 lakh allegedly for inclusion of a player in the Indian team for the Azlan Shah tournament next month.

This followed Union Sports Minister M.S. Gill’s advice to Mr. Jothikumaran.

Mr. Gill told PTI: “I have just seen the video being shown on Aaj Tak television channel about Jothikumaran, secretary of IHF. While a detailed inquiry must be held in the shortest possible time by appropriate authority, I am of the firm view that Jothikumaran must immediately resign from his office.”

‘Issue twisted’

When contacted, Mr. Jothikumaran, speaking from Coimbatore, claimed that he had negotiated a proposal to conduct an international tournament in India and that he had never indulged in corrupt practices. The whole issue seemed to have been twisted to project him as a corrupt official.

The ‘sting’ carried out on four days this month in a Delhi hotel shows the IHF secretary discussing a tournament and then allegedley claiming, in a telephone conversation, that a particular player had been included and the proposal would be sent to the Union Sports Ministry soon for clearance. The video recording also shows Mr. Jothikumaran accepting money and the reporter suggesting that the remaining Rs. 3 lakh could be given after co-coordinating with the IHF secretary’s contact man in Delhi.

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