CWG scam: 6-day CBI custody for Kalmadi aides

A Delhi court on Monday allowed the Central Bureau of Investigation to quiz former Commonwealth Games Organising Committee officials T S Darbari and Sanjay Mahendroo for six days in its custody after the probe agency said it has recovered "voluminous incriminating" documents from their houses and CWG office revealing graft.

"The 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," 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 (Rs 1.01 crore) relating to Queen's Baton Relay held in London last year.

Allowing the plea, special CBI judge A S Yadav sent the accused duo to CBI's cusotdy till November 22. "Both the accused were arrested on Tuesday. 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.

The counsel for the accused, however, opposed CBI's plea, saying Darbari, former OC joint director general, and Mahendroo, the 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, "I did not take any decision. All the decisions regarding the tendering process were taken by the 13-member OC."