Narinder Batra resigned from his posts in the morning, by the evening CBI raided

New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) raided five campuses in Delhi and Jammu belonging to former Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President Narinder Batra. The searches were conducted after an FIR was registered against him in an alleged corruption case, the official said.

He said the central probe agency had received a complaint against Batra, following which it initiated a preliminary inquiry in April this year, which is the first step towards establishing a prima facie charge. Officials said the complaint alleged that Rs 35 lakh of Hockey India was used for Batra’s personal gain.

Batra had to step down as the President of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) after the Delhi High Court on May 25 abolished the post of ‘life member’ in Hockey India. Batra contested and won the IOA election in 2017 as a life member of Hockey India.

Through three separate letters, Batra officially resigned from his posts in the IOA, IOC and FIH. “For personal reasons, I submit my resignation as the President of the FIH,” Batra wrote to the FIH Executive Board.

Batra’s IOC membership was linked to his IOA presidency but his resignation from the FIH came as a surprise as he said in May that he now wanted to concentrate on his work in the world hockey body. The Delhi High Court had refused to grant a stay on his appeal pending before the division bench, possibly due to which Batra decided to resign. The matter is to be heard on July 26.