CBI raids premises of OC officials Bhanot, Verma

NEW DELHI - The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Tuesday raided the homes and offices of Commonwealth Games Organising Committee (OC) Secretary General Lalit Bhanot and Director General V.K. Verma.

The raids against the two top aides of OC Chairman Suresh Kalmadi are on at 11 places in various parts of the capital, a top source in the CBI told IANS. Further details are awaited.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) last month questioned Verma for his alleged role in the financial irregularities in the Queen’s Baton Relay in London in 2009.

Three other aides of Kalmadi — T.S. Darbari, Sanjay Mohindroo and M. Jayachandran — are already under custody for their alleged involvement in the Queen’s Baton Relay scam.

The OC is understood to have paid AM Films - a sister concern of AM Car - over 450,000 pounds for services during the Queen’s Baton Relay function in London in October 2009 without following proper tendering procedures and paper work.

Kalmadi had Monday claimed he had not committed any offence and was ready to answer all CBI questions.

“I welcome the investigations (into the financial irregularities in the Commonwealth Games). I will give a statement in parliament and I have met Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar and she said whenever the house runs I can make the statement,” Kalmadi said.