CWG: CBI arrests Sandeep Wadhwa in overlays scam

NEW DELHI: The CBI on Monday arrested Sandeep Wadhwa, director of Comfort-Net, a company that had tied with Nusli Switzerland Ltd for the supply of overlays to various venues on the eve of the Commonwealth Games.

The arrest, fifth made so far by the CBI in the 685-crore overlays scam, was made as part of the agency's efforts to uncover the money trail of bribes paid by various suppliers and contractors to CWG Organising Committee officials.

The contracts, the investigating agency noted after going through documents related to the supply of overlays, were handed out at inflated rates, which invited their suspicion on money being exchanged in the process.

The trail had led the CBI to arrest OC additional director-general (finance) KUK Reddy and Praveen Bakshi, director of a private firm, ESA JV on February 23.

Prior to that, the agency officials had raided the residences of Reddy and four other CWG officials as part of its probe into overlays scam. Residential premises of two private players had also been searched as part of the exercise.

The scam, worth 685 crore, is regarding contracts for supply of tents, marquees, pre-fabricated units, portable toilets, containers, security fences, furniture, public display LED boards, floor finishes, material handling equipment, generator sets, cabling, UPS, air-conditioners, lighting, civil construction, athletic exercise equipment and grandstands, for various CWG venues. Besides Reddy, the residences of AK Saxena, RP Gupta, Surjeet Lal and NK Jain, all senior functionaries of the CWG OC had simultaneously been raided.