CBI court allows Kalmadi to go to Kazakhstan

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A Special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court here has allowed former Commonwealth Games (CWG) Organising Committee (OC) chairman Suresh Kalmadi to go to Kazakhstan for attending the Asian Atheletics Association Council meeting to be held on April 27.

Special Judge Talwant Singh allowed Kalmadi and his aide, Lalit Bhanot to attend the meeting of the 73rd Asian Athletics Association Council, which is going to take place at Almaty, in Kazakhstan.

"I am of the view that the accused persons are entitled to travel abroad to attend the meeting of the 73rd Asian Athletics Association Council to be held between April 25 and April 29," said Judge Singh in his order Tuesday which was made available Wednesday.

The court also imposed certain conditions on the accused - the accused will furnish a bank guarantee of Rs.10 lakh. The accused will also give details of their address in Almaty, Kazhkhstan along with the phone number to the court before departure.

The court has also asked the accused not to influence witnesses of the case during their visit to Kazakhstan.

The CBI had opposed the bail application of the accused saying that they were playing tactics to delay the trial.

The CBI in its first charge sheet in the case against Suresh Kalmadi and 10 others described him as a prime accused and the mastermind in the corruption case related to financial irregularities in awarding the Rs.141 crore contract for the TSR system.

The accused officials and two companies were charged under various sections of the Indian Penal Code for cheating, criminal conspiracy and forgery and under the Prevention of Corruption Act.