The bureau alleges 8 officials jacked up the cost of renovation at Shyama Prasad Mukherjee pool complex to justify giving contracts to two private companies

In a recent development in the Common Wealth Games (CWG) scam investigations, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) booked eight Central Public Works Department (CPWD) officials and two companies for alleged irregularities in renovation of Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Swimming Pool Complex.


Floodgates of corruption: The cost of renovation work of the Shyama
Prasad Mukherjee Swimming Pool Complex (above) was jacked up
to over Rs 200 crore. pic/midday

It was one of the projects that drew flak in the recent Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report. This is the 14th case to be registered in connection with the CWG scam till now by the investigating agency. CBI officials also carried raided 16 places in New Delhi, Ghaziabad and Jaipur, which yielded "incriminating documents and records", said officials.

The agency has named Ahluwalia Contracts (India) Limited and a joint venture between Consulting Engineering Service and Schlaich Bergernann, Germany, along with eight CPWD officials for allegedly jacking up the cost of renovation work of the stadium to over Rs 200 crore.

The CBI officials said in pursuance to the said criminal conspiracy, the accused, by abusing their official position as public servants and in conspiracy with the private parties, considered inadmissible factors to artificially jack up the reasonable price, so as to justify the award of work to the said firms.u00a0

The investigating agency has named the then CPWD Project Manager for Common Wealth Games, S S Mondal (retired), Superintendent Engineer Rajendra Kalla, Executive Engineers Manu Mittal and Pradeep Gupta, Assistant Engineers A K Arora, Manish Kumar Rawat and Som Dutt and Junior Engineer Sanjeev Kumar to be involved in the criminal conspiracy, along with the two private companies.