CWG scam: CBI raids 11 locations
New Delhi : The Central Bureau of Investigation on Tuesday conducted simultaneous raids at 11 places in the national capital including residences of two key aides of Commonwealth Games chief Suresh Kalmadi.
A CBI official said that the raids were carried on at the residences of organising committee secretary general Lalit Bhanot and director general V.K.Verma.
“The searches started early this morning with regard to a Rs 107 crore deal struck with a firm for the results-update system for the Commonwealth Games. The searches were carried out in Gurgaon, Noida and the national capital,” the official said on the condition of anonymity.
This is the first time when premises of both Bhanot and Verma, considered close to Kalmadi, were searched.
The CBI has already registered two FIRs in connection with alleged irregularities in CWG projects and has arrested some former Games officials.
Verma, former commercial director of Air India, has already been questioned by the Enforcement Directorate a couple of times while Bhanot was also on their radar.
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.
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.
Earlier this month, the CBI had arrested T.S. Darbari, Sanjay Mahendroo and sacked treasurer of the Organising Committee M.Jayachandran in connection with the alleged bungling in the Queen’s Baton Relay (QBR) in London last year. Darbari and Mahendroo were suspended initially after reports of the scam started appearing in the media. Both officials were sacked later.
The first case names London-based A M Car/Van Services and its owner Ashish Patel besides Darbari, Mahendroo and Singh under sections 468 (forgery of court records and public documents), 471 (using forged documents as genuine), 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of IPC and Prevention of Corruption Act.
The second case involves London-based A M Films, Patel, Mahendroo, Darbari and others under sections 420 (cheating), 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of IPC and Prevention of Corruption Act.