New Delhi: Congress MP and sacked Commonwealth Games Organising Committee chief Suresh Kalmadi has been remanded to eight days of police custody by the Patiala House Court on Tuesday. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had sought 14-day custody of Kalmadi in the Commonwealth Games Time Scoring scam case.
Two other senior officials of the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee - Surjeet Lal, deputy director general (procurement), and ASV Prasad, director general (sport), - were also remanded in CBI custody till May 4 by Special CBI judge Talwant Singh.
While seeking the remand of the trio, the CBI argued that Kalmadi, Lal and Prasad have not been cooperating with the investigators and that's why it (CBI) wants their custody.
"Kalmadi as Chairman of the Organising Committee of CWG, Prasad as Joint Director General (Sport) and Lal as Deputy Director General (Procurement) during the relevant period were among the main functionaries and key personnel in OC. They were deeply involved and instrumental in allotment of TSR contract to Swiss Timing in a pre-planned and premeditated manner at exorbitant rates, thus causing wrongful loss to the government," the agency claimed.
However, the defence lawyers argued that Kalmadi's arrest and detention was illegal and that each and every decision related to Commonwealth Games was taken after consulting the Sports Ministry. The defence lawyers argued that according to media reports Kalmadi was arrested around 11 Am on Monday and as per the rules he should have been produced in a court within 24 hours.
But as he was produced at the Patiala House Court at around 2 PM, which is more than 24 hours after his arrest, so he should be granted bail, argued the defence lawyers.
Earlier, there was huge drama outside the court when a man tried to hit Kalmadi with a slipper. The incident happened when Kalmadi was being taken to the Patiala House Court.
Kalmadi was about to go inside the court when the incident happened. The attacker, identified as 43-year-old Manoj Sharma from Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh, took his slipper and tried to hit Kalmadi.
However, he could not succeed in getting near Kalmadi and was overpowered by the policemen accompanying Kalmadi and taken into custody.
Kalmadi was arrested by the CBI under Sections 120 B and 420 (criminal conspiracy and cheating) of the Indian Penal Code in the Commonwealth Games Time Scoring Equipment scam on Monday.
He reportedly conspired to favour a private firm in Switzerland by awarding contract at inflated cost of Rs 141 crore.
Comments
0 comment