The CBI is likely to question Commonwealth Games Organising Committee Chairman Suresh Kalmadi soon in connection with its probe into the alleged corruption during the Queen’s Baton Relay held in London last year.

Official sources said Kalmadi’s name cropped up during the questioning of arrested former OC officials T S Darbari and Sanjay Mahendroo.

They said once their statements are gone through and analysed, Kalmadi, who is currently in China for the Asian Games, could be summoned.

A close aide of Kalmadi, who plans to return to India on 27th Nov after the Asian Games, said the OC chairman has not received any CBI summons yet.

Sources said the CBI will also seek the help of the Enforcement Directorate to unravel the alleged forex violations.

CBI is expected to question other OC officials as part of its probe into the alleged corruption.

Both Darbari and Mahendroo were arrested by the CBI as part of its probe into unearthing the money trail in a forgery and cheating case relating to the QBR.

The ED is also probing the case and had earlier questioned both the officials including certain other colleagues of theirs.

CWG scam: Darbari, Mahendroo sent to CBI’s custody for 6 days

A Delhi court has allowed CBI to quiz former CWG Organising Comm officials T S Darbari and Sanjay Mahendroo for 6 days in its custody after the probe agency said it has recovered “voluminous incriminating” documents from their houses and CWG office revealing graft.

“Accused are required to be confronted with voluminous incriminating documents recovered from the residential premises of the accused and from the office of the Organising Committee of CWG, 2010,” the agency said while seeking to interrogate them in custody.

The agency said custodial interrogation of the close aides of OC chief Suresh Kalmadi was required to unearth the alleged money trail to the tune of 1.4 lakh pounds relating to Queen’s Baton Relay held in London last year.

Allowing the plea, Special CBI Judge A S Yadav on Tuesday sent the accused duo to CBI’s custody till 22nd November.

“Both the accused were arrested only yesterday. Their further custodial interrogation is required to unearth the conspiracy and the names of other possible co-accused,” the court said.

The agency, in its application, said the accused, whose role in the offence was of serious nature, were “high-profile and well connected persons” and were not co-operating in the probe.

“In order to unearth the multi-crore rupees scam, the names of co-accused involved in the crime, use of defrauded money by the accused, modus operandi of the offence and their link in India and abroad are required to be ascertained, for which their custodial interrogation was required.

“The accused are high profile and well-connected persons and if left free at the stage of preliminary investigation, it is likely that they may tamper with the evidence and influence vital witnesses,” the application said.

Detailing the role of the accused, CBI said they entered into a criminal conspiracy by abusing their official position and awarded work to M/s AM Car and Van Hire Limited on the basis of false and forged documents (emails) and thereby caused a huge loss to the government and corresponding illegal gain to the firm.

The counsel for the accused, however, opposed CBI’s plea, saying Darbari, former OC Joint Director General, and Mahendroo, former OC Deputy Director General, have been co-operating and their premises have already been searched and nothing remains to be recovered.

Darbari told the court that “I did not take any decision. All the decisions regarding the tendering process were taken by the 13-member OC.”

CBI had Monday arrested Darbari and Mahendroo after it registered two cases in connection with contracts awarded to London-based A M Films and AM Car and Van Hire Limited at exorbitant rates.

The agency had conducted searches at four premises including the OC headquarters in New Delhi.

The first case was registered by CBI under IPC and Prevention of Corruption Act in relation to the award of contract to AM car and Van Hire Limited.

CBI has named Darbari, Mahendroo, OC Director Raj Singh, Director of transport firm Ashish Patel, and other unnamed persons under sections 468 (forgery of court records and public documents), 471 (using forged documents as genuine), 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of IPC and Prevention of Corruption Act.

The second case involves A M Films and the probe agency had named Patel, Mahendroo, Darbari and others under sections 420 (cheating), 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of IPC and Prevention of Corruption Act.

Considered to be close associates of Suresh Kalmadi, Darbari and Mahendroo were initially suspended in the wake of reports of the CWG scam and later sacked.

Darbari and Mahendroo are already facing charges of violation of Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) and have been questioned by Enforcement Directorate.

ED had registered its first case under FEMA in CWG after British authorities referred to the Indian High Commission a matter regarding A M Films, a little-known company, to which a huge sum of money was transferred through the Royal Bank of Scotland.