The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday arrested sacked Commonwealth Games (CWG) Organizing Committee chairman Suresh Kalmadi in connection with his role in the AM Films and TSR scams. The arrest order was carried out after the CBI had questioned Kalmadi extensively on the two incidents, particularly on the documents relating to the two deals.
The CBI had asked Kalmadi to appear before it on Monday to clarify some new issues which surfaced during the visit of the agency’s officials to London in connection with Queen’s Baton Relay scam.
Kalmadi had earlier expressed his inability to appear before the CBI citing his foreign visit, saying he would return home only after April 19. But even after returning from his visit abroad, he did not turn up before the sleuths saying he was still not in Delhi, sources said.
Kalmadi has been accused of sanctioning payments to AM Films and AM Car at rates that were hugely inflated.
The AM Car and Van Hire company in London was engaged during Queen’s Baton Relay in 2009 to provide services like taxis for the guests and OC members. The AM films was hired to provide display monitors during the event.
Earlier Kalmadi’s aides had justified hiring AM Films and AM Car… by saying other bids were not competitive but now the CBI has found that the names of other bidders given by Kalmadi were all forged and fake.
Shortly after Kalmadi’s arrest was announced, All India Congress Committee general secretary Janardhan Dwivedi said the Congress has suspended Kalmadi.
“The disciplinary committee has suspended Suresh Kalmadi from the membership of the party,” Dwivedi said.
—————————————————
CBI Press Release dated 25.04.2011
CBI arrests the then Chairman of Organising Committee of CWG-2010 in on-going investigation of a CWG case
The Central Bureau of Investigation has today arrested the then Chairman of Organizing Committee of Common Wealth Games-2010 for conspiracy to cause favour to a private firm based in Switzerland in awarding the contract for Timing, Scoring & Result system at an inflated cost of Rs. 141 crore. In this connection, the then Secretary General and the then Director General of the Organizing Committee had been arrested on 23rd March, 2011.
It is alleged that officials of the Organizing Committee had conspired with representatives of the private firm in Switzerland and the contract for timing, scoring, result was awarded by wrongfully restricting and eliminating competition from other suppliers in pre-meditated and planned manner. Investigation has revealed that the Committee for shortlisting prospective bidders for TSR was constituted by selecting handpicked officials.
Investigation has also revealed that members of the tenders evaluation committee were coerced and threatened to disqualify other bidders. Investigation has also revealed that Indian representatives of the favour supplier were in regular contact with the three arrested Organizing Committee officials much before the award of tender. Wrongful loss of approximately 95 coroes was caused to the public ex-chequer.
The then Chairman of the Organizing Committee will be produced before Special Judge CBI, at Patiala House Courts New Delhi on 26.04.2011.
