OC official under scanner for payment of Rs 71 Lakh

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)'s probe into irregularities in the award of the Timing, Scoring & Results (TSR) system contract to a Swiss firm has revealed that its authorised Indian sub-contractor had allegedly obliged a former senior official working with the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee (OC) by allegedly making an unauthorised payment of Rs 71 lakh to a private firm.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)'s probe into irregularities in the award of the Timing, Scoring & Results (TSR) system contract to a Swiss firm has revealed that its authorised Indian sub-contractor had allegedly obliged a former senior official working with the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee (OC) by allegedly making an unauthorised payment of Rs 71 lakh to a private firm.

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The payment was made at the official's behest in October 2008, via cheque.

The accused official was among six OC officials chargesheeted by the CBI on charges including of cheating, forgery and criminal conspiracy.

The payment was made to the firm allegedly "for certain additional services…without either a competitive bidding process or reflection of the same in official or financial records of the OC", said the chargesheet.

It added, "The amount was paid" by the sub-contractor "directly" to the firm and "not routed through OC as was the norm for any sponsorship."

This was almost a year before the OC invited open bids for the TSR contract — October, 2009 — and at a time when the 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games (CYG) in Pune, according to the chargesheet filed by the CBI in the case.