Custody of Bhanot, Verma extended

A Delhi court on Thursday extended till May 18 the judicial custody of two former top officials of the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee who were arrested for alleged irregularities in awarding a Rs 107-crore contract to a Swiss firm for providing logistics support for the Games.

Special CBI Judge Dharmesh Sharma extended the judicial custody of OC's former Secretary General Lalit Bhanot and its former Director General V K Verma after the CBI said the investigation in the case is still on.

"Both the accused are remanded to judicial custody till May 18," the court said.

The current spell of judicial custody for three others accused, including that for sacked OC chairman Suresh Kalmadi, too lasts till May 18.

The two other accused in the case are OC Joint Director General (Sport) A S V Prasad and OC Deputy Director General (Procurement) Surjit Lal.

Bhanot and Verma were arrested by CBI on February 23 for committing alleged irregularities in awarding a Rs 107-crore contract to a Swiss firm in procuring the Timing, Scoring and Result (TSR) system for the Commonwealth Games.

- Commonwealth Games 2010

Kalmadi, Prasad and Lal were arrested on April 25.

The CBI had told the court that they were among key personnel in CWG OC and were instrumental in allotment of contract for TSR System to Swiss Timing in a pre-planned and pre-mediated manner at an exorbitant rate of approximately Rs 107 crore, causing a loss to the exchequer.

The CBI has registered a case against the two, along with firm Swiss Timing Ltd and other unnamed persons under sections 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 420 (cheating) of IPC and various sections of Prevention of Corruption Act.

The investigating agency had earlier slapped three more charges -- of fraud, forgery and cheating -- on the duo.