Thaindian News

New Delhi, May 20 (IANS) The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Friday filed a chargesheet against nine people, including Suresh Kalmadi, former chief of the Commonwealth Games (CWG) Organising Committee, and two companies in a case related to alleged irregularities in the preparations for the October 2010 mega-event.

The irregularities pertained to the awarding of the contract for the TSR (timing scoring and result) system to Swiss Timing at exorbitant rates.

Accepting the chargesheet, Special Judge Talwant Singh said: “The chargesheet will be taken for cognisance May 23. The investigation officer should be present.”

The chargesheet, the first in the case, runs into 36 pages.

It includes the names of CWG Organising Committee (OC) heavyweights Suresh Kalmadi, Lalit Bhanot and V.K. Verma.

Also named by the CBI are Surjeet Lal, A.S.V. Prasad, M. Jayachandran and three others who are absconding - Anil Madan, A.K. Reddy and Purshottam Arya.

The two companies are AKR Construction and Swiss Timing.

Non-bailable warrants against the absconding accused have been issued, confirmed the CBI.

Terming Kalmadi as the prime accused, the investigating agency said: “He is the master mind behind the scam. He is the person who had supreme and overriding powers in every matter related to the mega event.”

All the accused have been charged under various sections of laws relating to criminal conspiracy, forgery, use of forged documents and criminal misconduct and corruption.

The probe agency has listed more than 50 witnesses in the case.

Accepting the possibility of some more arrests, the CBI said: “We are still investigating the case. Supplementary documents and chargesheets can be filed.”

Five amongst the chargesheeted, including Kalmadi, are in jail, three are absconding while Jayachandran, who is presently on bail in connection with a case of alleged irregularities related to AM films and AM cars, has not been arrested as yet.

Early Friday Kalmadi filed an application before the court pleading to hold its order on the bail plea which was put up for May 21 as it has to make some additional arguments after the chargesheet is filed.

“We want to make some fresh arguments on the bail plea after the chargsheet is filed,” said the defence counsel.

The court accepted the application and fixed the matter for May 26. It also fixed the arguments on the bail plea’s of Surjit Lal and ASV Prasad for the same day.

The CBI has alleged that the accused officials colluded to award the contract for the TSR system to Swiss Timing at an inflated cost of Rs.141 crore, causing a loss to the tune of Rs.95 crore to the exchequer.

Kalmadi and his teammates are accused of pocketing the entire amount as kickbacks.

Swiss Timing, in turn, outsourced parts of the contract to Gem International and AKR Constructions.

Kalmadi was arrested April 25.