CWG-related graft case: Court accepts CBI's closure report

New Delhi: A special court has accepted the CBI's closure report in a corruption case pertaining to alleged irregularities in construction of new sports facility block and renovation of Talkatora Stadium for the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games (CWG).

The court concurred with the submissions of the investigating officer (IO) who had sought closure of the case on the ground that the allegations levelled in the FIR were not substantiated during the probe. "In view of the aforesaid facts and circumstances, it is found that the aforesaid allegations of FIR could not be substantiated and accordingly, the closure report is accepted. IO is also directed to return the documents/articles seized during the course of investigation to the concerned authority/ persons," Special CBI Judge Ajay Kumar Jain said.

The agency had registered an FIR on March 9, 2011 against three officials of New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC), R S Thakur, V K Gulati and J K Katyal, M/s Raja Aederi Consultants Pvt Ltd, its Director Uday Bhatt, Simplex Project Ltd and its Director Sudershan Mundra and other unknown persons.

The FIR was lodged for alleged offences under sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy) read with 420 (cheating) of the IPC and under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act. In the FIR, CBI had alleged that these NDMC officials had entered into a criminal conspiracy with directors of M/s Raja Aederi Consultants Pvt Ltd and M/s Simplex Project Ltd and created artificial inflation of justified cost of project and also made undue payment of an advance of Rs 1.9 crore to the contractor in violation of the terms of the contract.

It had also alleged that these officials had approved poor quality of work executed by M/s Simplex Project Ltd relating to upgradation, renovation and construction of a new block at the Talkatora Stadium for the CWG.

CBI said that Talkatora Stadium was the venue for boxing competition during the sporting event. However, CBI later filed a closure report saying they have not found enough evidence warranting prosecution in the case and allegations in FIR were not substantiated in the probe.