CBI raids Kalmadi homes, Games office (Second Lead)

NEW DELHI - Two months after the Commonwealth Games (CWG) ended amid allegations of major financial wrongdoings, the CBI Friday raided Organising Committee chairman Suresh Kalmadi’s homes in New Delhi and Pune and the Games office here.

The Central Bureau of Investigation said teams of officers searched Kalmadi’s residences and that of an aide also in Pune.

“The raids began early morning today. A total of four locations were raided in Delhi and Pune. We are still searching the places,” CBI Deputy Inspector General of Police Vinita Thakur told IANS.

The CBI is probing the alleged irregularities in the Organising Committee’s contract of Rs.107 crore with a firm to procure the Time Scoring Board.

Kalmadi has claimed that he has done no wrong and was willing to face any inquiry.

Despite repeated attempts, Kalmadi could not be reached by IANS. Games secretary general Lalit Bhanot and treasurer A.K. Mattoo were also unreachable.

Kalmadi, a senior leader of the Congress from Maharashtra, is a member of the Lok Sabha, elected for the third time in 2009 from Pune. He has also served in the Rajya Sabha four times.

Three other aides of Kalmadi — T.S. Darbari, Sanjay Mohindroo and M. Jayachandran — are already in custody in connection with another financial scam related to the Games.

The Organising Committee 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 tender procedures and paper work.