CWG scam: CBI files fresh FIR, carries out raids

The Central Bureau of Investigation on Friday filed a fresh first information report (FIR) against six Commonwealth Games organising committee officials and two firms for alleged irregularities in sportswear retailing and merchandising and carried out searches at 10 places across the country.

A team of CBI officials from Delhi conducted a search on the premises of Premier Brand Pvt Ltd, a sister concern of CDIL, in connection with the fresh case. The company is said to have got exclusive merchandising and online retailing rights for virtually nothing.

Officials said a case was registered against organising committee members V K Verma, M Jaychandran, Surjit Lal, Ram Mohan, K U K Reddy and Sangita Welingkar. Verma is behind bars, while two officials are out on bail.

The searches were carried out in Delhi, Mumbai, Chandigarh and Panchkula during which several documents and a laptop were seized. The CBI also named two firms - Premier Brands and CDIL - over the merchandising contract, said to be worth Rs7.05 crore.

Premier Brand is owned by Suresh Kumar Singla, who is also an accused in the case. Chief information officer (CBI), Delhi, Dharini Mishra, said Singla and others were not arrested.

The CBI says not only was the award of the contract dubious, but two cheques Premier Brand submitted to the committee, amounting to Rs3.5 crore, were dishonoured by the bank. The games committee thus did not receive a single paisa from the firm of the total contractual amount of Rs5.2 crore.