The raids come a day after the agency questioned Commonwealth Games organising committee chief Suresh Kalmadi.
A day after Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) grilled Commonwealth Games organising committee chief Suresh Kalmadi for nine hours at its headquarters, the probe agency on Thursday registered fourth FIR in connection with the award of contracts for overlays at venues for the games at exorbitant rates.
Subsequently, the CBI raided at least ten premises of four consortiums in Delhi, adjoining Noida and an office under the union sports ministry on Thursday morning.
The CBI has named organising committee director general VK Verma in the FIR for buying and hiring overpriced equipment during the games. The overlays contracts were worth over Rs600 crore.
Verma was also named in the third FIR filed by the CBI in connection with the Rs 107 crore Swiss Time Keeping deal along with that of CWG secretary general Lalit Bhanot. Besides Verma, Director of M/s Meruform India Private Limited, Binu Nanu was also named in the fourth FIR.
Interestingly, Suresh Kalmadi has not been named in any of the FRIs registered by the agency.
“About ten places were raided by CBI in connection with the overlays irregularities during CWG in Delhi and Noida. Several documents related to the on-going investigation have been seized,” said Binita Thakur, DIG, CBI.
Sources said the office of the International Sports Division under the ministry of youth affairs and sports and premises of Nussli India and Comfort Net consortium, GL-Meroform, Pico Deepali-D-Art-ECG-Arena-UK, were among those searched by CBI.
Pico’s Indian arm - Deepali Designs is owned by Vinay Mittal, considered to be a close relative of senior BJP leader Sudhanshu Mittal.
Sources said the CBI raids were focused on four companies, which had acted as the Indian arm for an identical number of international firms. The contracts were bagged by consortium of foreign and Indian firms.
“Overlays works includes supply of tents, prefabricated units, portable toilets, containers, security fences, furniture, public display LED boards, floor finishes, gensets, air-conditioners, lighting, athletic exercise equipment and grandstands. All these contracts were given at much higher prices than the actual market prices,” said senior CBI official, close to the probe.
Sources said overlays contracts during the games are also being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate and Income Tax simultaneously.
Three cases have been already registered by the CBI earlier on different issues of corruption related to the mega sporting event.
Two of the cases are related to the Queen’s Baton Relay held in London in October 2009, while a third was linked to award of contracts and its undue delays.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}