CBI raids Kalmadi’s Delhi, Pune residences, Games office (Third Lead)

NEW DELHI/PUNE - CBI Friday raided the Delhi and Pune homes of Commonwealth Games Organising Committee chief Suresh Kalmadi as well as the Games office here, two months after the mega event ended amid allegations of major financial irregularities.

Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) 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.

Official sources in Pune said Kalmadi’s house off Karve road was raided by a seven-member team at 7.30 a.m.

His close aide Manoj Bhore’s house in Pune was also searched.

CBI is probing 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.