Now, Pune gets CWG scam scar

Pune: The CBI yesterday arrested a close aide and personal assistant (PA) to Suresh Kalmadi from the city on the charges of criminal conspiracy in awarding CWG contracts to event management firms at exorbitant rates, giving them undue benefit at the cost of taxpayers' money.



Shekhar Deorukhkar, a PA to Suresh Kalmadi, was produced before a special CBI court yesterday

A team from the Anti-Corruption Bureau from Delhi nabbed Shekhar Mukund Deorukhkar yesterday morning. This is the first arrest made from Pune in connection with the CWG scam.

Deorukhkar, who was posted as the Organising Committee (OC) director in New Delhi till last year, was picked up from his residence in Ram Baug Colony at Kothrud.

Later in the day, he was produced before the CBI court of Special Judge S N Sardesai in Pune.

The CBI got a three-day transit remand of Deorukhkar, who will be taken to Delhi and produced before the Special Court of Patiala House latest by Monday.

Who is Deorukhkar?

Deorukhkar is a very close aide of Kalmadi, the former chairman of Commonwealth Games Organising Committee and Pune MP.

Praveen Walimbe, Kalmadi's public relations officer, said, "Deorukhkar was working as a PA to Kalmadi for the past 15 years, but he is not associated with the Congress party." Deorukhkar was looking after the Delhi affairs, said Raja Mahajan, another Pune-based PA to the scam-tainted leader.

Case history

According to the case lodged by the CBI on January 5, OC director general of V K Verma and his fellow officers entered into a criminal conspiracy with Binu Nanu, managing director of Meroform India Pvt Ltd, GL Events Pvt Ltd and others to do undue favours to GL Events, Meroform (France), Pico Deepali Overlays Consortium (Delhi) and Nussli Ltd (Switzerland).

At present, contracts relating to the overlays project worth about Rs 600 crore are under the scanner.
The overlays project includes supply of tents, prefabricated units, portable toilets, fences, furniture, LED display boards, cabling, UPSes, air-conditioners and fitness equipment.

Rival outcry

Anant Gadgil, a senior Congressman who was recently neglected by the party for a Rajya Sabha berth, said,

"The CBI has not touched Kalmadi as yet because if he is arrested the investigating agency will have to
arrest Delhi chief minister Shiela Dikshit too. Only arresting the minnows will notu00a0 help."

u00a0Arun Bhatia, a former IAS officer who had contested against Kalmadi in the last Lok Sabha elections, said,
"The CBI should arrest bigwigs such as Kalmadi. They should immediately file the chargesheet and frame charges against him."

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