CBI starts grilling Suresh Kalmadi
Beleaguered Commonwealth Games Organising Committee (OC) chairman Suresh Kalmadi on Wedensday reported at the Central Bureau of Investigation’s headquarters to be questioned on the alleged financial irregularities in the preparations for the event.
Sources said Kalmadi would face grilling by CBI officials in connection with the agency’s probe into alleged financial irregularities in organising the mega sporting event.
The CBI had raided Kalmadi’s Delhi and Pune houses on Dec 24 and OC office here for alleged irregularities and misuse of funds.
The agency is also investigating in the award of contracts during the Queen’s Baton Relay ceremony in London in Oct last and various anomalies in procuring equipment of the games.
While Kalmadi has been saying he is innocence, his three close aids- T.S. Darbari, Sanjay Mohindroo and M. Jayachandran – have been arrested for alleged fraud of the games funds.
The sleuths on Tuesday visited the OC office in New Delhi and questioned some officials. Besides they had seized certain documents related to QBR and other contracts with various firms.
The CBI had late last month contacted Kalmadi over phone asking him to appear before it for questioning but the OC chief had said he will be available only after January 3.
“I am yet to hear from the CBI. As and when I am informed, I will be available. I am extending full cooperation to all investigating agencies,” Kalmadi said.
The CBI had made some inquiry of Kalmadi’s three key aides in connection with the scam.
Manoj Bhori, political advisor to OC head, P K Srivastava and A K Sinha, both assistants to Kalmadi, were also called in for interrogation.
The agency had also conducted raids at the residences of OC Secretary General Lalit Bhanot abd R K Sacheti, who is Joint Director General of the OC, besides Sangeeta Welingkar, member of the Games Imag.
The CBI has decided to approach the Sports Ministry to seek removal of Kalmadi and Bhanot from their posts citing failure of certain junior OC officials to cooperate with it which, it claimed, was hampering the probe.