‘Enough evidence found to hand over cases to CBI'

Official sources said on Friday the Central Vigilance Commission had received reports of Ministries or departments from its Chief Vigilance Officers, and found substantive evidence to hand over the cases to the CBI for further probe and logical conclusion of the cases.

“There have been huge financial losses made to the national exchequer while awarding contracts. We have found alleged criminal conspiracy and financial bungling in some of the tenders and award of works. The CBI has been asked to conduct a probe into it,” a senior CVC official said.

Meanwhile, the former Comptroller and Auditor-General, V.K. Shunglu, said the aim of the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh-appointed committee to probe Commonwealth Games-related irregularities was to arrive at a “logical conclusion.”

“This is not about the authorities. This is about reaching the right conclusion,” Mr. Shunglu told journalists while commenting on the multiplicity of probes ordered by the CVC, the CBI, the Enforcement Directorate, and the IT department.

“It is for the government to define the enquiry and for me to conduct it… It is very difficult to say anything at this stage,” he added.

The committee will submit its report to the Prime Minister in three months.

Keep off Ministry: BJP

Special Correspondent reports:

The Bharatiya Janata Party has in a letter on Friday suggested to Dr. Singh that it would be tragic and even farcical if the Shunglu committee were to be assisted by Sports Ministry officials, who, themselves, had been decision-makers in the Organising Committee (OC) for the Games.

BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar pointed out that Sports Ministry Secretary S. Khullar was on the OC executive board and was party to all decisions taken.

Another official, Joint Secretary Rahul Bhatnagar, was a member of the OC finance panel, which took decisions related to the tender process.

“In this situation, it would be ironical if the Shunglu Committee was to be assisted by Sports Ministry officials, who should themselves be under the scanner for financial irregularities.”

Mr. Javadekar suggested that in the interest of a fair and impartial inquiry, the Shunglu Committee should be assisted by the Cabinet Secretariat.