CWG scam: CBI seeks UK assistance to crack AM cases

NEW DELHI: In a move seen as a crucial step in its attempts to get to the bottom of the CWG scam, the CBI has finalised the Letters Rogatory to be sent to London for seeking information on AM Cars and AM Films, firms owned by Ashish Patel which were granted the contracts for making arrangements for the Queen’s Baton Relay.

Draft of the first LR, which arises from the case registered on November 15 against AM Cars, TS Darbari, the sacked joint director general of the CWG Organising Committee, and Sanjay Mohindroo, deputy director general of OC, has been finalised and sent to the CBI’s prosecution department for its vetting. It’ll then be sent to the Union ministry for its nod.

The second LR too is getting finishing touches, and it emerges from the case registered by the CBI against the Ashish Patel-owned AM Films, besides Darbari and Mohindroo.

It is learnt that after the court’s order, the two LRs will be sent to London for seeking information on the two firms and their owners. They comprise a set of some 35-40 questions on which information is being sought.

They include queries such as: whether the two firms were registered, who were on their board of directors, details of the QBR contracts bagged by them, bills deposited by them, the payments received by them, details of their bank accounts and latest bank statements.

Patel, Darbari and Mohindroo have been named in both the cases that have been registered by the CBI in connection with the QBR, a function which was held in London on October 29, 2009, and graced, among others, by President Pratibha Patil.

The first case was registered against AM Cars under sections 120-B of the IPC (criminal conspiracy), cheating (420 IPC), forgery (468 and 471 IPC) and section 13 (2) read with section 13 (1) of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

In this case, the CBI has alleged that the two sacked OC officials had entered into a criminal conspiracy with the London-based transport firm and its director awarded work to AM Cars and Vans at exorbitant rates without following the standard tender process, the CBI said.

The work was awarded on the false premise that the firm was on the panel of Indian High Commission, London. Two e-mails were allegedly forged by the officials of Organising Committee to justify the selection of the firm, the CBI said.

The second case was registered against AM Films under section 420 of the IPC (cheating), 120-B (criminal conspiracy), besides the PCA. Darbari and Mohindroo too were named in the FIR.

The agency alleged that the OC duo entered into a conspiracy with AM Films, which was awarded the work of installation of video screens at the QBR venue at exorbitant rates.

The work was awarded to the London-based firm allegedly on the basis of fake quotations and without following the standard procedure, the CBI had alleged.