Allegations against Shekhar Deorukhkar are baseless: Relative

Ashok Tamhane, a relative of Shekhar Mukund Deorukhkar, arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with the Commonwealth Games (CWG) scam, denied Deorukhkar’s involvement.

Apparently not many residents of Uma Mahesh Apartment, where Deorukhkar resides, were aware of his arrest. A guard manning the main exit gate of the apartment informed that a team of CBI sleuths had come on Friday afternoon.

Tamahane told DNA at his residence after the arrest, “The Delhi CBI officers visited the flat on Thursday also. All allegations against him are baseless. There is not an iota of truth. We will speak to the media at an appropriate time. Things related to the CWG are being politicised.”

Tamahane asked why Deorukhkar’s house was not searched earlier, when the investigating agency had conducted raids in the city in connection with the CWG scam. “Deorukhkar’s flat was not searched by the CBI at that time,” he said.

He refused to share any further information.

The CBI had raided the residences and offices of Suresh Kalmadi in Delhi and Pune in connection with the scam in December last year. The agency also raided residences, farmhouses and a fuel station owned by Kalmadi.

The headquarters of the Kalmadi-controlled organising committee (OC) in Delhi was also raided. The residences of his two personal secretaries, Shekhar Srivastava and Manoj Bhore in Delhi and Pune respectively, were also raided during that time.