Kalmadi to get different van for transportation

A Delhi court on Thursday allowed sacked Commonwealth Games OC Chairman Suresh Kalmadi and others arrested for alleged irregularities in awarding a contract to a Swiss firm to be transported to court in a separate van after they expressed fear of being attacked by other undertrials.

Special Central Bureau of Investigation Judge Talwant Singh directed the jail authorities to bring Kalmadi and other five officials of Organising Committee in a different van from Tihar Jail to the court for proceedings.

"Report has been received from the Deputy Commissioner of Police. Their (Kalmadi and other accused) plea for transporting in separate jail van due to security concerns is allowed," the court said.

The six accused had on July 14 moved an application expressing their apprehension of being attacked in the jail van by other undertrials.

The other arrested co-accused in the case are OC former director general V K Verma, OC former secretary general Lalit Bhanot, OC former officials M Jayachandran, Surjit Lal and ASV Prasad.

The judge had then directed the jail superintendents "to explore the possibility of transporting Kalmadi and others to the court on dates of hearing in a separate van". The court had asked the jail authorities to apprise it with their decision by today in this regard.