CBI raids on Suresh Kalmadi’s associates
New Delhi, Nov 30 (IBNS): The Central Bureau of Investigation on Tuesday raided the homes and offices of Commonwealth Games Organising Committee (OC) Secretary General Lalit Bhanot and Director General V.K. Verma, the two aides of CWG’s chairman Suresh Kalmadi.
The raids have been continuing at least 11 places of their homes and offices as the sleuths of the CBI cordoned off the places to avoid any obstruction. No CBI official would talk regarding the raids after several attempts were made to weasel information on some specific questions.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED), another central agency investigating the Games scams, had questioned Verma last month for his alleged role in the financial irregularities in the Queen’s Baton Relay in London in 2009.
Three other close associates of Congress MP Kalmadi — T.S. Darbari, Sanjay Mohindroo and M. Jayachandran — are already under custody for their alleged involvement in the Queen’s Baton Relay scam.
The raids took place on a day when the CBI is all set to oppose the bail plea of two other aides of Kalmadi, T S Darbari and Sanjay Mohindroo.
The OC is understood to have paid AM Films – a sister concern of AM Car – over 450,000 pounds for services during the Queen’s Baton Relay function in London in Oct 2009 without following proper tendering procedures and paper works.
Kalmadi had Monday claimed he had not committed any offence and was ready to answer all CBI questions.
“I welcome the investigations (into the financial irregularities in the Commonwealth Games). I will give a statement in parliament and I have met Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar and she said whenever the house runs I can make the statement,” Kalmadi said.
