10 DDA officials, private firms booked

Reportedly, nearly Rs 154 crore was spent on the sports courts where only Rs 118 lakh would have sufficed

10 DDA officials, private firms booked

Reportedly, nearly Rs 154 crore was spent on the sports courts where only Rs 118 lakh would have sufficed

In the latest FIR in connection with the Commonwealth Games (CWG) scam since the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report was tabled, a case was filed against 10 Delhi Development Authority (DDA) officials, contractors and private firms on Wednesday.

Scambusters: CBI sleuths have raided various locations to gather
evidence against corrupt ministers, officials involved in the scam. File Pic

The case has been lodged in connection with the alleged irregularities in construction of indoor courts at Siri Fort sports complex. According to CBI, the loss to the exchequer is estimated to be around Rs 36 crore. "The estimated cost of construction of squash and badminton courts was Rs 118 lakh, but the contract was finally awarded at a cost of nearly Rs 154 crore," said the agency sources.

CBI has accused contractors B E Billimoria Company Ltd (A-34 P-1, Okhla Industrial Area), former DDA chief engineer V K Panchal and a serving DDA executive engineer (circle-33, Dwarka) in the case. After the case was registered, CBI officials' teams reached 21 locations in Delhi, Mumbai and NCR to carry out search operations today morning.

This is the first case to be registered by the agency after a Special Investigation Team was constituted last month to study the CAG report and to see whether any fresh case could be registered. In all, 15 FIRs have been registered till now.

Special Investigation Team (SIT), headed by a Joint Director, has also collaborated with other investigating agencies such as the Income Tax and Enforcement Directorate, said CBI sources. Former CWG Organising Committee chairman Suresh Kalmadi was arrested for corruption and cheating in April and is in jail. He has been accused of ensuring that a Swiss firm was hired at exorbitant prices for timing and scoreboard equipment used at different venues for the Games.

The other scam
The CBI questioned former Union minister Dayanidhi Maran in connection with the Aircel-Maxis deal on Wednesday. Maran was questioned for more than five hours. His brother, Kalanidhi Maran, was quizzed by the CBI on Monday.
Dayanidhi Maran, belonging to the DMK, was Telecom Minister from 2004 to 2007. During this time, he allegedly delayed sanctioning licenses to C Sivasankaran, who owned Aircel. Sivasankaran has told the CBI that Maran coerced him to sell his company to Maxis, a Malaysia-based group owned by T Anandakrishnan.