Thaindian News

New Delhi, May 23 (IANS) A city court Monday initiated criminal proceedings against all the 11 accused, including two companies, for financial irregularities in awarding contract for timing scoring and result (TSR) system at exorbitant rates for the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

“After going through the chargesheet, statement of witnesses and other documents filed along with it, I am of the view that there is sufficient material to take cognisance against all the accused persons and two companies,” Special Judge Talwant Singh said.

The court directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to bring five accused - former CWG Organising Committee (OC) chief and MP Suresh Kalmadi, then secretary general Lalit Bhanot, former director general V.K. Verma, then deputy director general (procurement) Surjeet Lal and then joint director general (sport) A.S.V. Prasad - to the court Tuesday.

The court issued production warrant against three accused - Kalmadi, Lal and Prasad - presently lodged in Tihar Jail.

Bhanot and Verma will be coming to the court Tuesday as their judicial custody ends the same day.

The city court, meanwhile, issued non-bailable warrant against OC treasurer M Jayachandran and directed for its execution by June 6.

The judge said: “He was not arrested in this case as he was cooperating during the questioning in initial stage. Later when his role surfaced as accused in the case, he stopped appearing even after several communications were sent to him. Hence I am of view to issue non-bailable warrant (NBW) against him.”

The remarks came after the CBI filed an application placing on record the notices sent to Jayachandran which were allegedly duly received by him and his family members.

The court also directed the CBI to initiate proceedings against promoters of Faridabad-based Gem International’s A.K. Madan and Purushottam Arya and managing director of Hyderabad-based A.K.R. Constructions A. Krishna Reddy under section 82 of Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPc). The section means proclamation for a person absconding.

Accusing the three private officials to be absconding ‘intentionally’, the court said: “The CBI has returned the NBWs after making several efforts. Since these persons are intentionally absconding and avoiding judicial proceedings, proceedings under section 82 of Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPc) be initiated, to be executed for July 14.”

The CBI had, in its application Monday, placed the unexecuted warrant stating that as these people have absconded the warrants were not executed.

The agency added, “even the family members of the trio denied to know about their whereabouts”.

The court also directed the investigative agency to publish the proclamations in two English, Hindi and Telugu newspapers.

Besides, the court has issued summons against A.K.R. Constructions and Swiss Timing and asked them to be present through their representatives.

“For Swiss Timing, summons be issued to CEO through international diplomatic channel, ministry of external affairs, e-mail, fax and post… to be executed by July 14. While AKR constructions is summoned for June 6.”

The probe agency said there was “no response from Swiss Timing and several notices were issued to join the investigation but the companies… did not join it”.

The CBI had on May 20 filed its first chargesheet in the case against Kalmadi and others, describing him as a prime accused and mastermind in the corruption case involving award of Rs.141-crore contract, causing a loss of over Rs.90 crore to the exchequer.

All the accused have been charged under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) including section 120(B) (criminal conspiracy), section 420 (cheating), section 468 and 471(forgery) and the Prevention of Corruption Act.

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

While Kalmadi, Prasad and Lal were arrested on April 26, Bhanot and Verma were arrested on February 23.

They are all presently in Tihar Jail.