Took action against corruption charges: Suresh Kalmadi
New Delhi : With his two aides being sent to police custody over Commonwealth Games (CWG) scam, Organizing Committee (OC) chairman Suresh Kalmadi said action was taken over corruption charges.
A Delhi court on Tuesday remanded OC officials TS Darbari and Sanjay Mahendroo to six-day police custody over corruption scandals.
?The OC took action against Darbari and Mahendroo after reports of corruption. The committee?s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) (Jarnail Singh) has already terminated their services,? Kalmadi told reporters.
Asked if he is ready to face probe on the corruption scandals, Kalmadi said: ?I always wanted an inquiry into these charges. We will give satisfactory answers to the panel investigation CWG scam.?
?However, let me clarify that we have no role in the constructions and related works at the stadiums. The OC is accountable for Rs 1800 crore; we have all answers regarding that amount,? he added.
Darbari and Mahendroo were remanded to police custody till Nov 22.
?The police need time to interrogate them over the conspiracy and get names of all co-accused,? Special CBI Judge A S Yadav reportedly said while giving the verdict on Tuesday.
Darbari, in his defence, said the court that he did not take any decision on payments to the UK-based AM Films.
?I didn?t take any decision. The decisions on tendering process were taken by the 13-member CWGOC,? Darbari reportedly told the court.
After sacked OC Joint Director General T S Darbari, suspended deputy director-general Sanjay Mahendroo was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday.
Darbari was sacked on Aug 9 over allegations of irregularities in payments to the UK-based AM Films.
The CBI on Monday 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 Comission 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.
