A special CBI court on Saturday sent former Commonwealth Games Organising Committee chief Suresh Kalmadi’s aide Shekhar Deorukhkar and businessman Binu Nanu to judicial custody of 14 days.
The order of the judicial custody till March 5 was announced by special CBI judge O.P. Saini on Saturday, meanwhile CBI officials in the court stated that they did not seek further custody of the two.
However, since the investigations are not complete, the CBI also pointed out that the further investigations can be done while the accused remain in the judicial custody. “It is submitted (by the CBI) that since the investigation is not yet complete accused may be remanded to judicial custody for 14 days. Deorukhkar is remanded to judicial custody till March 5,” said judge Saini.
Shekhar was arrested on 11 February from Pune and was sent to CBI remand a day later for five days. His remand was then extended by two more days. The CBI contended before the court that Shekhar and V.K. Verma, DG of the Organising Committee at that time, have caused huge loss to the exchequer by awarding contracts to the companies M/s Mero Form Indian Pvt Ltd (France), M/s G.L. Events Pvt Ltd, M/s PICO Deepali overlays consortium (New Delhi), M/s Nussli (Switzerland), and M/s ESAJV:D Art Indo consortium at exorbitant rates. The accused are facing allegations in connection with overlays in supply of tents, marquees, pre-fabricated units, portable toilets, containers, security fences, furniture, public display LED boards, floor finishes, material handling equipment, gensets, cabling, UPS, air-conditioners, lighting, civil construction, athletic exercise equipment and grandstands.
During the hearing Shekhar pleaded that he be allowed his spectacles and medicines inside the jail, the court directed the jail superintendent to consider his prayer as per the jail manual. Meanwhile, a Delhi court has also asked the CBI and the Delhi police to file a report on the action taken by them the complaints of corruption in the Games-related cases.