Court takes cognisance of chargesheet against Kalmadi

A Delhi court on Monday took congnisance of the Central Bureau of Investigation chargesheet filed against sacked Commonwealth Games Organising Committee Suresh Kalmadi and others for their alleged role in the irregular award of a contract to a Swiss firm for installation of Timing-Scoring-Result system for the sporting event.

Special CBI Judge Talwant Singh also issued production warrant against Kalmadi, CWG OC Director General (Procurement) Surjit Lal and Joint Director-General (Sports) A S V Prasad, who are lodged in Tihar Jail, for Tuesday.

Games OC Secretary General Lalit Bhanot and former Director General V K Verma, whose judicial custody expires on Tuesday, too will appear in the court. The court also issued non-bailable warrant against OC treasurer M Jayachandran and directed for its execution by June 6.

The three others, including Anil Madan, P D Arya (both promoters of Faridabad-based Gem International Firm) and A K Reddy of Hyderabad-based firm, AKR Constructions, are absconding.

The court also issued summons to AKR Constructions and Swiss Omega and asked them to be present through their representatives.

The CBI had on May 20 filed its first chargesheet in the case against Kalmadi, describing him as a main accused in the corruption case involving award of a Rs 141 crore contract to the Swiss firm.

The probe agency, in its over 50-page charge sheet, accused Kalmadi as the key person with all the powers to take decisions regarding award of contracts.

"I have taken cognisance of the charge sheet, the statement of the 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," Judge Talwant Singh said, taking cognisance of the charge sheet.

Indicting Kalmadi and others, the CBI had in its chargesheet said, "Kalmadi is the main accused as he was the person with all supreme powers. He had the supreme overriding powers in the Organising Committee of the CWG, 2010."

According to the chargesheet, the accused allegedly awarded the Rs 141 crore-contract to the Swiss firm to install a Timing-Scoring-Result system for the commonwealth

Games at an exorbitant cost, causing a loss of over Rs 90 crore to the exchequer.

All the accused have been indicted for various offences, including those of criminal conspiracy under Section 120(B), cheating (Section 420), forgery (Section 468 and 471) of Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Corruption Act.

While Kalmadi, Prasad and Lal were arrested on April 26, Bhanot and Verma were arrested on February 23. They are presently lodged in Tihar Jail.