CWG scam: Kalmadi to pin new facts to prove his integrity

New Delhi, May 21: The bail plea of sacked CWG Organising Committee chairman Suresh Kalmadi, which was to be decided by a Delhi court on Saturday, May 21 has been postponed for May 26 after he said he would place "new facts" to prove his innocence in a corruption case relating to awarding of a Games-related contract to a Swiss firm.

Special CBI Judge Talwant Singh, before whom CBI filed the charge sheet against him, deferred the order on his bail plea by five days after taking into consideration Kalmadi's plea seeking to argue his case on "new" grounds.

CBI filed a 50-page charge sheet against him and ten others including two companies.

Others named in the chargesheet are -- OC Director General (Procurement) Surjit Lal, Joint Director General (sports)A S V Prasad, Treasurer M Jayachandran, A K Reddy, Managing Director of Hyderabad-based AKR Constructions, and the promoters of Faridabad-based Gem International, A K Madan and P D Arya. The Faridabad firm was outsourced a substantial portion of the contract that Swiss Timing-Omega won for the Commonwealth Games.

It also names the two companies AKR Constructions and Swiss Timing-Omega.

All accused have been charged under sections 120(B) (criminal conspiracy), 420(cheating), 468(forgery) and 471 (using forged documents) of Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Corruption Act. The chargesheet will be taken up for cognizance on Monday.

CBI said it might file a supplementary charge sheet, if need be, as further investigation is going on and certain aspects are yet to be investigated.

Arguments on the bail pleas of Surjit Lal and A S V Prasad will also be heard on May 26. Bhanot and Verma were arrested on February 23 while Kalmadi, Prasad and Lal was apprehended on April 26.

They stand accused of awarding TSR contract to Swiss Firm Swiss Timing which caused an estimated loss of over Rs 90 crore to the exchequer.

PTI