Commonwealth Games scam - 2010

Commonwealth Games scam - 2010

The Commonwealth games scam as it is known involved large scale misappropriation of money during the preparatory phase and conduct of the 2010 Commonwealth games held in New Delhi. The total value of the scam is estimated to be Rs. 70,000 crore.

Like any other scams it involved politicians, bureaucrats and corporate acting in collusion

Politicians involved

§  Suresh Kalmadi, the Congress party representative to 15 LokSabha from the Pune constituency. He was the Chairman of the Organising Committee of the Delhi Commonwealth games.

§  Sheila Dikshit, Chief minister of Delhi: Was indicted for several irregularities in the CWG processes both by Shunglu committee and also by the CAG

Corporations involved

§  AM Films      * AM Cars   *  SIS Live

§  Jaypee Group, Its alleged that the proceeds of corruption are parked here through financial involvement of Suresh Kalmadi's son, Sumeer Kalmadi in the F1 circuit project at Greater Noida.

§  MTNL                    *  HCL Infosystems

Businessmen involved

§  RSP Sinha, MTNL CMD

§  SM Talwar, Executive director MTNL

§  NK Jain, GM (Corporate Sales) MTNL

§  Jitendra Garg, DGM MTNL

Whistleblowers/ Law enforcers

The scam was unearthed by CAG even before the conduct of the games. Presently the scam is being probed by the CBI.

Scam

The various contracts were manipulated by Kalmadi and team and allegedly misappropriated huge amounts in the process.

Time scoring results system

Kalmadi has been accused of awarding illegal contracts to a Swiss firm for Timing-Scoring-Result system for the Games causing a loss of Rs 95 crore to the exchequer.

Queens baton relay

The Enforcement Directorate is probing the flow of funds and forex during the Queens Baton Relay held in London prior to the Commonwealth Games, apart from investigating the overlays-related works of the Games under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

Broadcast network

CBI registered another case in the Commonwealth Games scam and searched residences of officials of Mahanagar Telecom Nigam Limited, or MTNL, and Noida based HCL Infosystems for allegedly inflating cost of setting up a broadcast network for the Games by nearly Rs 400 crore.

Recruitment to Organising committee

CBI sources lodged Preliminary Enquiry report against unknown persons in the Games organizing body after it received several complaints and references from the Central Vigilance Commission claiming violation of norms in the appointments. They said the complainants alleged involvement of sacked OC Chairman Suresh Kalmadi, who is at present in judicial custody, and his close aides for irregularities in the recruitment process.

Response to scam

§  Kalmadi and Bhanot was sacked from the Organising Commitee by the Sports ministry on Jan 2011

§  Shunglu panel was constituted by Prime minister Manmohan Singh to go into the irregularities in the conduct of the Games.

§  After his arrest on 25 Apr 2011, Suresh kalmadi was suspended by the Indian National Congress

Arrests made

§  TS Darbari and Sanjay Mahindroo was arrested by the CBI on 23 Nov 2010

§  Suresh kalmadi was arrested on 25 Apr 2011 and the next day was sent to eight days police custody.

Conviction

Nil as of 15 Oct 2011.