CBI arrests two CWG OC officials for forgery, conspiracy (Second Lead)

NEW DELHI - T.S. Darbari and Sanjay Mohindroo — two former aides of Commonwealth Games Organising Committee (CGOC) chief Suresh Kalmadi — were arrested Monday by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for their alleged involvement in the Queen’s Baton Relay scam, CBI DIG Anurag said.

We have arrested two officials — joint DG revenue, marketing and chairman’s secretariat T.S. Darbari and deputy DG marketing Sanjay Mohindroo of the Organising Committee — in two cases related to the Queen’s Baton Relay that was held on Oct 29, 2009, CBI DIG Anurag told reporters here.

CBI conducted searches at the office of the CGOC and residential premises of the two officials and incriminating documents recovered during searches were being scrutinized, he said.

The two officials had been suspended after the scam surfaced earlier this year.

The CBI has also registered two cases against Darbari and Mohindroo, London based private firms AM Car and Van Hire Ltd and AM Films UK Ltd, their director Ashish Patel and CWG director Raj Singh.

“It is alleged that the accused (CGOC) officials, in conspiracy with the London-based transport firm and its director awarded it work at exorbitant rates without following the standard tendering process. The work was awarded on the premise that the firm was on the panel of the Indian high Commission in London,” Anurag said.

He said that two e-mails were allegedly forged by the CGOC officials to justify the firm’s selection.

“The second case was registered against Darbari, Mohindroo and the London based private firm dealing in audio visual equipment, its director and others. It is alleged that the accused officials in conspiracy with the firm awarded the work of installing video screens at the venue of the Queen’s Baton relay at exorbitant rates,” Anurag said.

Darbari and Mohindroo will be produced in the Patiala House Court Tuesday, Anurag added.

They have been arrested under sections 468 (forgery of court records and public documents), 471 (Using forged documents as genuine), 120-B (criminal conspiracy) and 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code. They have also been charged under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The organising committee is understood to have paid AM Films, an Indian-owned firm, over 450,000 pounds for services during the Queen’s Baton Relay function in London in October 2009 allegedly without following proper tendering procedures and paper work.