After registration of the preliminary enquiry into the alleged multi-crore corruption scam in Sports Authority of India (SAI) and possession of disproportionate assests by its officers to their known sources of income, the teams of Central Bureau of Investigation(CBI) have started search and seizure operations at SAI’s Sonepat centre.
The information was revealed on Friday before the Punjab and Haryana high court bench headed by justice Ranjit Singh during the hearing of a petition alleging large-scale corruption in various branches of SAI across India filed by a SAI employee Raj Kumar.
Earlier on March 15, justice Ranjit Singh, while disposing of the petition had handed over the investigation to CBI. But later the centre government and the CBI had filed review petitions for reviewing March 15 orders of the high court. However, the bench made it clear that SAI should not fear of an investigation being carried out by the CBI since the allegations made by the petitioner were very serious.
The CBI teams are also likely to conduct search and seizure operations at SAI’s other centers at Patiala, Delhi, Bhopal, Bangalore, Gandhinagar and Kolkatta centres of SAI.
During the hearing of the case petitioner’s counsel informed the bench that since the CBI has started its search and seizure operations at Sonepat since November 15 as per the provisions contained in CBI’s crime manual, therefore, both the review petitions have become infructuous.
The bench was also informed that in his recent report made public in the month of August, the Comptroller and Auditor General(CAG) of India highlighted serious issues of large scale corruption in the commonwealth games-2010. It was further added that CAG has made scathing observations about the equipments worth crores purchased by SAI during 2008-11, which was also one of the allegations being made by the petitioner.
The petitioner had brought to the notice of the bench that CVC had black listed two companies of New Delhi ie M/s Prince Services and M/s CD Security Services on October 16, 2006 yet SAI officers kept paying crores of rupees to these companies.
A long list of information regarding purchase of numerous sub standard sports equipments/kits at exorbitant high rates by various centers of SAI was also submitted by the petitioner before the court.’
{{/usCountry}}A long list of information regarding purchase of numerous sub standard sports equipments/kits at exorbitant high rates by various centers of SAI was also submitted by the petitioner before the court.’
{{/usCountry}}However, on Friday counsel appearing for the CBI took some time from the bench to prepare the case stating that he had received the brief a day before, on which the bench adjourned the case for next week.
Alleged cost of property of SAI officers
1. BK Sinha former Secreatary SAI, New Delhi : Rs 50 crores
2. Shiv Sharma, former deputy director SAI, New Delhi : Rs 50 crores
3. PC Kashyap, executive direcotor SAI at New Delhi : Rs 25.85 crores
4. Satish Sarhadi, deputy director SAI at Kurukshetra : Rs 5.08 crores
5. AK Sharma, former director SAI, Sonepat : Rs 2 crores
6. PK Mattu, assistant director SAI at Patiala : Rs 1.55 crores