Suresh Kalmadi dies at 82: Former IAF pilot, Union minister who became face of CWG scam

Suresh Kalmadi served as the president of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and played a key role in India’s sports administration for several years.

• Senior Congress leader Suresh Kalmadi passed away in Pune at age 81
• Kalmadi led the Indian Olympic Association and promoted major sports events
• He was cleared of 2010 Commonwealth Games corruption charges last year

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Senior Congress leader and former Union Minister Suresh Kalmadi passed away in Pune early on Tuesday (January 6, 2026) following a prolonged illness.

He was 81 and is survived by his wife, two daughters, son and grandchildren. According to reports, his mortal remains will be kept at Kalmadi House in the Erandwane area in Pune till 2 pm. The cremation will be held at Vaikunth crematorium in Navi Peth at 3.30 pm.

Kalmadi's political journey

Born on May 1, 1944 in Pune, Kalmadi was a former Indian Air Force pilot before entering public life.

He went on to serve three terms in the Rajya Sabha between 1982 and 1996 and again in 1998, apart from his stints in the Lok Sabha in 1996 and 2004. He also held key roles in sports administration, serving as President of the Indian Olympic Association and playing a central role in promoting sporting events in India.

Kalwadi was elected as a Lok Sabha MP for the first time in 1996, and again in 2004 and 2009. He lost the 1998 Lok Sabha elections as a Pune Vikas Aghadi candidate.

Kalmadi served as the president of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and played a key role in India’s sports administration for several years.

Kalmadi also took the initiative to start the Pune Festival, a cultural event held during the Ganesh Utsav festivities, in 1989; the Pune Vyaspeeth; and the National Games.

However, he came under national scrutiny in connection with the 2010 Commonwealth Games corruption case and was booked under the Prevention of Corruption Act for alleged misappropriation of Games funds. He was arrested in April 2011, following which the Congress suspended him from the party. The allegations pertained to the award of two contracts for the CWG, related to Games Workforce Service (GWS) and Games Planning, Project & Risk Management Services (GPPRMS).

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had filed a closure report in the same allegations against Kalmadi and others in January 2014.  Last year, a special court in Delhi accepted a closure report filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and gave Kalmadi a clean chit.

In his later years, Kalmadi largely withdrew from active politics due to prolonged illness.

“In the Pune Municipal Corporation, the party had dominated since 1992, but its decline began after Kalmadi’s downfall in 2011,” state Congress vice-president Mohan Joshi told Indian Express.