New Delhi: The CBI is likely to file a report in a New Delhi court on Saturday seeking closure of the case of alleged fraud and criminal conspiracy against former Prasar Bharati CEO BS Lalli in awarding broadcast rights of the Commonwealth Games.
Sources in the investigation agency say that they have failed to find any irregularities in the awarding of the Rs 246 crore broadcasting contract to UK-based company SIS Live.
A case of fraud and criminal conspiracy was filed against Lalli and the MD of SIS Live's Delhi firm Zoom Communications. Lalli has all along denied the allegations. Sources in the CBI now say that they haven't been able to establish how any illegal profits were made by any party.
Last year, the agency had filed a case against Lalli and Managing Director of Delhi-based Zoom Communications Wasim Dehlvi, who is also the resident director of UK-based SIS Live, under section 120-B and 420 of Indian Penal Code related to criminal conspiracy and fraud respectively.
CBI had alleged a major portion of the Rs 246 crore contract given to UK-based SIS Live by Prasar Bharati for "production and coverage" of Commonwealth Games was sub-contracted to Zoom Communications for only Rs 176 crore, resulting in loss of nearly Rs 100 crore to the exchequer.
After a year-long investigation in the alleged scam, CBI has come to conclusion that there were no major shortcomings in these issues.
The sources say investigations showed the schedule of payments was never changed in favour of SIS Live by Prasar Bharati.
The investigating agency had alleged in its FIR that a number of conditions were relaxed in favour of the UK-based company including a provision pertaining to sub-contracting to Zoom Communications.
On allegations that the draft contract was altered to favour SIS Live which allowed assignment of contract to Zoom Communication, CBI has concluded the final contract was settled by Solicitor General and approved by an oversight committee headed by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry.
The agency found that on the sub-contract given to Zoom Communications, the then ASG Vivek Tankha had opined the contract between Zoom and SIS was not transfer or assignment.
CBI sources say even if it is assumed that the contract was in favour of SIS Live, it was a "collective administrative decision" that was taken after due diligence.
During its investigation, CBI probed whether the decision of Doordarshan not to cover 10 of the 17 Commonwealth Games events through in-house production was malafide.
The agency had said Doordarshan initially decided to cover the 10 events but later cut them down to three which was allegedly done to favour the private contractor.
CBI sources say this allegation could also not be substantiated as the probe has shown that in-house production of 10 events by public broadcaster Doordarshan was "only a wish" and not a firm decision.
The case was referred to CBI by the Prime Minister's Office after considering the Shunglu committee report and the one given by Cabinet Secretary KM Chandrasekhar.
In its report, the Shunglu committee had fixed the responsibility for providing "undue benefit" to SIS-Live and Zoom Communications primarily on Lalli and Sharma and said they cannot be recused from the acts of omission and commission.
With Additional Inputs From PTI
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