The Central Bureau of Investigation, which on Friday searched the residences and official premises of CWG Organising Committee chairman Suresh Kalmadi as part of the probe into alleged irregularities in the conduct and organisation of the Commonwealth Games 2010, questioned him about some documents, official sources said.
The simultaneous raids in Delhi, Mumbai and Pune came about a month after the CBI registered three first information reports for alleged offences of forgery of court records and public documents, criminal conspiracy and corruption and cheating in awarding some contracts for the CWG 2010.
The agency has already made three arrests.
The CBI also searched Mr. Kalmadi's farmhouse at Khadakwasla near Pune and the ‘Sai Service' petrol station owned by him in Pune.
After the searches, the agency called Mr. Kalmadi's close aide Shekhar to its headquarters here for questioning, the sources said.
The searches were “part of the ongoing investigation into the allegation of award of video installation work for the Queen's Baton Relay to a London-based private firm at inflated rates,” CBI spokesperson and Deputy Inspector-General Vineeta Thakur told journalists here. Several documents recovered during the searches were being scrutinised, she said.
Mr. Kalmadi could be called for questioning soon after the CBI officials completed scrutiny of documents and analysis of the data stored in disks of computers and laptops, the sources indicated.
Later, Mr. Kalmadi maintained that he had not taken any decision alone. “All decisions have been taken by the Executive Board,” he told journalists.
“I am innocent”
“I am innocent till proven guilty. You [media] are all pronouncing me guilty,” the Congress MP said adding he had assured the CBI of complete cooperation. He said the CBI teams had also searched his brother's place in Mumbai.
Mr. Kalmadi, who was recently removed as Congress Parliamentary Party secretary, said the OC was given a Rs. 1,500-crore budget, which was “four to five per cent of the total budget” for the Games and “we have by way of revenue generated Rs.700 crore from the 11-day sporting extravaganza.”
Last month, the CBI searched the residences of OC Director-General V.K. Verma and Secretary-General Lalit Bhanot.
While one case is related to a Rs. 107-crore deal struck with a Swiss score keeping firm, two other FIRs were lodged in connection with the contract given to AM Films for the Baton Relay ceremonies by the OC in London.
The CBI arrested OC's Joint Director-General T.S. Darbari, Deputy Director-General Sanjay Mohindroo and former treasurer Jayachandran for their alleged complicity in these deals.
