Top Kalmadi aides held

The CBI on Monday arrested TS Darbari and Sanjay Mahendroo, two close aides of embattled Commonwealth Games Organising Committee chairman Suresh Kalmadi, on charges of corruption and forgery in the conduct of the Queen’s Baton Relay in London on October 29, 2009.

The CBI on Monday arrested TS Darbari and Sanjay Mahendroo, two close aides of embattled Commonwealth Games Organising Committee (OC) chairman Suresh Kalmadi, on charges of corruption and forgery in the conduct of the Queen’s Baton Relay in London on October 29, 2009.

HT Image

The CBI registered two cases naming Darbari, Mahendroo, OC director Raj Singh and Ashish Patel, director of two UK-based firms — AM Car and Van Hire Limited and AM Films UK Limited — as accused.

After registering the cases, the CBI carried out searches at the houses of Darbari, Mahendroo and Raj Singh as well as at the OC office.

Darbari was joint director general in the OC while Mahendroo was its deputy director general. The OC gave contracts to the firms run by Patel for providing vehicles and for installation of video screens at the venue of the Queeen's Baton Relay.

The CBI has alleged that the work was awarded on exorbitant rates without following the tender process. The accused also allegedly claimed falsely that Patel's firms were on the panel of the Indian High Commission in London. Not only that, the accused forged two emails to justify the selection of Patel's companies.

Both Darbari and Mahendroo are already facing charges of violating the Foreign Exchange Management Act and have been questioned by the Enforcement Directorate. The charges