The CBI has sought sanction of the Information and Broadcasting Ministry to prosecute suspended Prasar Bharti CEO B.S. Lalli and Aruna Sharma, till recently Doordarshan Director General, in connection with allegations of corruption in the award of broadcasting rights of Commonwealth Games.
Soon after getting clearance from the Prime Minister’s Office to initiate action against both the officials on the basis of the recommendations of the V.K. Shunglu committee, the CBI wrote to the Ministry seeking its nod to go ahead with criminal proceedings against them, official sources said.
The Prime Minister, after receiving the report, had issued directions that explanations be sought from Mr. Lalli and Sharma in the award of broadcasting rights of Commonwealth Games causing Rs.135 crore loss to the exchequer.
Mr. Sharma, a Madhya Pradesh cadre IAS officer, was ordered to be reverted to the state.
The Prime Minister decided to refer the matter to CBI after considering the report on the Host Broadcasting Issues related to the Games and the report given by Cabinet Secretary K.M. Chandrasekhar.
In its report, the committee had fixed the responsibility for providing “undue benefit” to SIS Live and Zoom Communications primarily on Mr. Lalli and Mr. Sharma and said they cannot be recused from the acts of omission and commission which facilitated this wrong doing.
The committee had also said certain actions seem to attract penal provisions under IPC and the Prevention of Corruption Act which need to be separately investigated.
