CWG scam: OC official, corporate honcho sent to Tihar

CWG Organising Committee's Additional Director General K Udai Kumar Reddy and a corporate honcho Praveen Bakshi, arrested for their alleged corrupt deeds in arranging various logistic support to the sporting event, were sent to Tihar Jail today under judicial custody.

Special CBI Judge O P Saini sent the duo to the city's central prison after the lapse of their 5-days' custody period with the agency sleuths for their custodial interrogation.

"CBI says that investigation is not yet complete and thus the accused (Reddy and Bakshi) be remanded to 14 days judicial custody. Accused are remanded to judicial custody till March 14," the judge said.

The court also directed the jail superintendent to consider the plea by both the accused for using reading glasses inside the prison, as per jail manual.

Earlier, the court had questioned the CBI for not arresting the officials of the CWG OC who have allegedly accepted huge bribe in awarding contracts at exorbitant rates.

CBI had submitted that Bakshi had paid huge bribe to the officials of the OC in return for getting contracts at exorbitant rates and release of payments. It had also added that that Reddy had accepted the bribe amount from Baskhi.

The premises of both the accused, arrested on February 22, were searched by the CBI on February 18 along with that of five other CWG OC officials and suppliers in connection with overlays scam.

Nearly Rs 600 crore worth of contracts relating to the overlays project are under the scanner for alleged irregularities.

Overlays works included supply of tents, marquees, prefabricated units, portable toilets, containers, security fences, furniture, public display LED boards, floor finishes, material handling equipment, gensets, cabling, UPS, air-conditioners, lighting, civil construction, athletic exercise equipment and grandstands.

The agency had conducted a number of searches in certain premises across the country in early January in connection with the scam, including those of an officer under Union Sports Ministry.

The overlays contracts are also under the scanner of the Income Tax Department and the Enforcement Directorate.