T S Darbari slams Suresh Kalmadi over AM films scam

New Delhi : The troubles only seem to be getting worse for Suresh Kalmadi as his axed aide T S Darbari has breathed fire against the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee Charmian over the AM films scam, repoorts said on Monday.

In a letter to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) director dated Nov 3, Darbari who was sacked and arrested amidst corruption allegations has blamed Kalmadi and another former OC member, Sanjay Mohindroo over the AM Films sham.

Claiming his innocence, Darbari?s letter also includes names of M Jayachandran, another CWG official who was arrested on Sunday night, V K Verma and Shovan Narayan.

This comes in on a day when the CBI remand for Darbari and his colleague Sanjay Mohindroo was extended by another three days after the investigating body complained that the two were not cooperating with the investigation.

While the CBI has said it has acquired voluminous incriminating” documents from the two CWG officials? houses, it asserted that it needed more time for uncovering the money trail that in the alleged scam over the Queen’s Baton Relay in London last year.

The CBI earlier had filed forgery cases against former officials of OC and raided four places here, including the committee office, residences of T S Darbari, deputy director-general Sanjay Mahendroo and Raj Singh, a high-ranking official of OC.

Both Darbari and Mahendroo were arrested by the CBI.

According to the allegations, UK businessman Ashish Patel’s AM Films was paid about a quarter of a million pounds, 100 per cent in advance, for “services rendered” during the Queen’s Baton Ceremony in London last year.

Darbari and Mahendroo had allegedly doctored the documents to show that AM Films was recommended by Indian High Commission in London for various services.

After his sacking, Darbari had hit back at Kalmadi saying the whole deal went through after being approved by Kalmadi himself.

Darbari also came under the scanner about nine months ago when he was accused of smuggling a diamond ring worth Rs 28 lakh from Dubai. He is considered influential and close to many politicians. He was also close to late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.