The Central Bureau of Investigation told a Delhi court on Wednesday that the Indian Embassy at Berne has requested authorities there for provisional arrest of three officials of Switzerland-based Swiss Timing Limited, against whom summons were issued for their alleged roles in a 2010 CWG-related corruption case.
The agency, in its status report, told the court that it had recently written a letter to the Ministry of Home Affairs to apprise it about the progress of its request seeking provisional arrest of the three foreign nationals and the ministry's reply was still awaited.
The court had earlier issued summons to Swiss Timing's General Manager Christophe Berthaud, Sales and Marketing Manager S Chianese and Multi Sports Events and Sales Manager J Spiri for their alleged involvement in the graft case.
During the day's proceedings, CBI's Head Investigating Officer Inspector Anand Swaroop told the court that the agency was pursuing the matter with the agencies concerned and further report will be submitted in due course for which at least a month's time may be granted.
Special CBI Judge Madhu Jain allowed the agency's plea, saying, "Request allowed. Put up on December 5, 2014 for filing further status report by CBI."
The CBI's status report stated that in compliance of the court's order, request for provisional arrest had been made in a February 21, 2014, letter through Ministry of External Affairs along with translated copies of all the annexed documents in German.
It also said that request for extradition of these three accused had also been sent in a May 1, 2014, letter through MEA along with translated copies of all the documents in German which were duly authenticated by the court.
"HIO has further submitted that a letter... dated April 15, 2014, of Embassy of India, Berne addressed to Federal Department of Justice and Police, Berne had been received in CBI, National Bureau-India, Interpol, New Delhi through MHA and further CBI, National Bureau-India, Interpol, New Delhi to this branch on June 30, 2014.
"In that letter Embassy of India, Berne had requested the Federal Department of Justice and Police, Berne to execute the request of Indian authorities for provisional arrest of above mentioned three accused," the court noted in the order.
CBI had earlier told the court that it was pursuing through the Interpol the issue of extradition of the 3 officials.
Sacked CWG Organising Committee Chairman Suresh Kalmadi and others are facing trial in a corruption case relating to the mega sporting event.
According to CBI, Kalmadi and others had allegedly "illegally" awarded a contract to install Timing, Scoring and Results system for the 2010 Games to Swiss Timing Ltd at inflated rates, causing a loss of over Rs 95 crore to the exchequer.
The court had framed charges of cheating and conspiracy against Swiss Timing and said the record of the case "prima facie" suggested that there was "incriminating evidence about the involvement" of its three officials in the case.
Kalmadi and nine others, including OC's former Secretary General Lalit Bhanot, are facing trial in the case for offences including criminal conspiracy, forgery, cheating under IPC and the Prevention of Corruption Act, which entails life imprisonment as maximum punishment.
Besides Kalmadi and Bhanot, the other accused are OC's former Director General V K Verma, former Director General (Procurement) Surjit Lal, former Joint Director General (Sports) A S V Prasad and former Treasurer M Jayachandran.
They are no longer associated with the sporting body.
Apart from the six, promoters of two construction firms -- P D Arya and A K Madan of Faridabad-based Gem International and A K Reddy of Hyderabad-based AKR Constructions -- are also accused. AKR Constructions is also an accused in the case.
CBI has alleged that Kalmadi and other accused rejected Spanish firm MSL's much lower bid of Rs 62 crore and awarded the contract to Swiss Timing, causing loss to the exchequer.
