CWG: Fresh cases over stadium upgrade, ‘consultants’
10 Mar 2011
The Central Bureau of Investigation, which has been probing the financial irregularities in the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, has registered three fresh cases in connection with renovation of Shivaji and Talkatora stadiums and appointment of 35 consultants for the games.
The CBI suspects that the contracts for the two stadiums were awarded at an exorbitant rate by state and central authorities to undeserving contractors. The games organising committee (OC) had appointed 35 consultants in an irregular manner and paid them huge salaries, though none had submitted monthly reports.
CBI has till now lodged eight FIRs in its CWG corruption probe.
Earlier, the agency grilled former OC chairman Suresh Kalmadi for over nine hours regarding alleged financial irregularities in the games.
The agency suspects that finalising of the games-related contracts was allegedly delayed to benefit a few firms/contractors. According to a report, the CBI suspects that the OC "deliberately delayed the issuance of tenders for various games-related works for months and then handed them over to a few select firms at inflated rates".
CBI sleuths carried out searches in the National Capital Region, Kolkata and other cities early Thursday morning, they said, adding that the searches are still on.
