MHA clears LR in CWG scam; request may be sent next week

NEW DELHI: Decks have been cleared for issuance of Letters Rogatory for questioning UK-based Ashish Patel and getting financial details about his two firms for providing logistical support for the Queens Baton Relay of the Commonwealth Games allegedly at exorbitant rates.

The Letters Rogatory was cleared by the Ministry of Home Affairs recently and has been sent to Legal and Treaty Division of the Ministry of External Affairs, a CBI official said, adding that by next week the documents would be routed through diplomatic channel to the UK.

Official sources said the LR requests the London Police to question Patel, a businessman, about the name of the person who allegedly received kickbacks from him for the tender executed by his two firms A M Films and A M Cars for extending logistics for the relay.

The CBI has already questioned sacked Deputy Director General (Marketing) of the CWG Organising Committee Sanjay Mohindroo and sacked Joint Director General T S Darbari and now wants to question Patel on the basis of their statements, the sources said.

Both Darbari and Mohindroo are at present in CBI custody after they were arrested by the CBI on November 15 following searches at various places in connection with the case.

Patel has been named in both the cases registered by the CBI in connection with the QBR, which was attended by President Pratibha Patil in London.

The first case was registered under criminal conspiracy (120B), cheating (420), 468 and 471 (forgery) of IPC and some sections of Prevention of Corruption Act against Darbari, Mohindroo and Patel-owned A M Cars and Vans.

In this case, the CBI has alleged that the accused officials of the OC in conspiracy with the London-based transport firm and its director awarded work to A M Cars and Vans at exorbitant rates without following the standard tender process, the CBI's FIR said.

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

The second case was registered under criminal conspiracy and cheating and various sections of Prevention of Corruption Act against Darbari and Mohindroo and Patel's A M Films, the CBI alleged.