CWG street-lighting scam: Charges framed against seven

A Delhi court Monday framed charges against four Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) officials, two others and a private company in the Commonwealth Games street-lighting scam.

Special CBI judge Pradeep Chaddha said: “The court framed charges against the accused for the offence of criminal conspiracy, cheating, forgery and other sections of Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA). The trial will commence from April 3.”

The court framed charges against four MCD officials — Superintendent Engineer D.K. Sugan, Executive Engineer O.P. Mahala, accountant Raju V. and the civic body’s tender clerk Gurcharan Singh for the offence of criminal conspiracy, cheating and forgery.

Besides them, the court framed charges against Director J.P. Singh and Managing Director T.P. Singh of private firm Sweska Powertech Engineers Pvt Ltd, which was allegedly favoured in the award of street lighting contract during the games in 2010.

The court also framed charges against the company Sweska Powertech Engineers Pvt Ltd.

Another accused Mehul Karnik, an employee of Philips India Pvt Ltd, was, however, discharged from the case last month.

According to the CBI charge sheet, the accused had entered into a criminal conspiracy for upgrading the street lights in view of the forthcoming CWG in October 2010 and caused a loss of around Rs.1,42,83,000 to the government.

The CBI has alleged that tenders of street lighting were invited by the civic agency in 2008. Tenders were opened May 2008 and they wrongfully awarded the tender to Sweska Powertech.