CBI finds no fraud in CWG broadcasting rights case

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is probing corruption in the hosting of the 2010 Commonwealth Games (CWG), has filed a closure report in a city court in a case involving suspected irregularities in the award of broadcast rights to a United Kingdom-based private firm.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is probing corruption in the hosting of the 2010 Commonwealth Games (CWG), has filed a closure report in a city court in a case involving suspected irregularities in the award of broadcast rights to a United Kingdom-based private firm.

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The Rs. 246-crore broadcast contract for the production and coverage of CWG was awarded to UK-based SIS Live allegedly on the basis of a single tender, according to a CBI source.

The CBI had suspected that nine other contenders were rejected or had to opt out of the bidding process due to allegedly restrictive and stringent conditions in the contract terms.

SIS Live had assigned the contract - signed between it and Prasar Bharati (a statutory, autonomous body) - to Delhi-based private firm Zoom Communications for Rs. 177 crore. According to the case filed by the CBI last March, there had been a loss of around Rs. 100 crore to the exchequer as a result of the deal.

The then Prasar Bharati chief and officials of the two private firms were under the CBI scanner.

"Our probe has found no substantive evidence of fraud or criminal conspiracy against the then Prasar Bharati officials, including the then chief executive officer, when they awarded the CWG broadcast rights," said a CBI source.

The source added that the CBI also found no substantive evidence against the managing director of Zoom Communications, who held the post of resident director, SIS Live, as well.

The CBI filed the closure report before a Special CBI court that has kept it for consideration on August 4.