New Delhi:
The CBI is conducting raids in Mumbai and Delhi in connection with a new case of corruption related to the Commonwealth Games.
This case focuses on the construction of a new sports stadium at Delhi's Siri Fort complex.
The Games were held in October 2010 in Delhi; their trademark was inflated contracts designed to benefit companies who were selected by the Organizing Committee of the Games. Many senior members of this committee are now in jail including former Chairman Suresh Kalmadi, who is also an MP from Pune.
The government's auditor had found the Games littered with instances of bare-faced corruption. In its report, the Comptroller and Auditor General faulted many contracts signed for equipment and services. In the case of Siri Fort, the auditor felt that there was "an inexplicable delay of nearly a year" to engage Australian design consultants Peddle Thorp from Melbourne. Investigators studying the different contracts used for the Games have found that often, consultants were hired at the last minute which meant they had to be paid sky-high rates to ensure that tight deadlines were met.
The auditor had also reported deficiencies in the contracts signed to ready the venue for table tennis matches at Siri Fort.