CBI to send Letters Rogatory in CWG scam to UK

the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) will soon send Letters Rogatory to the United Kingdom for questioning Ashish Patel and seeking financial details about his two firms A M Films and A M Cars for allegedly making arrangements for the Queens Baton Relay (QBR) at exorbitant rates.

While the CBI is questioning sacked Deputy Director General (Marketing) of the Organising Committee of Common Wealth Games (CWG) Sanjay Mohindroo and sacked Joint Director General of OC T S Darbari, their statements needed to be verified and corroborated from Patel as well, official sources said.

Patel has 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 and attended by President Pratibha Patil.

CBI sources said the LR will be sent as soon as possible as the questioning of Patel was necessary for unravelling the knots in the case.

The first case was registered under criminal conspiracy (120-B) 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 Organising Committee 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, CBI said.

The work was awarded on the false premise that the firm was on the panel of Indian High Commission, London. Two emails were allegedly forged by the officials of Organising Committee to justify the selection of the firm, 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-owned A M Films.

It is alleged that the accused officials of Organising Committee in conspiracy with A M Films awarded the work of installation of video screens at the venue of Queens Baton Relay at exorbitant rates.

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

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

Ashish Patel is already facing a seven-year ban by the UK Registrar of Companies (RoC).

As per the information given by the UK RoC, Patel has been disqualified as a Director of the London-based firms from March 17, 2010 to March 16, 2017. The RoC has cited Section 7 of the Company Directors Disqualification Act, 1986 for barring him. The section particularly deals with disqualification procedures and reasons for a director of an insolvent firm.

Patel was in the news after his firms -- AM Cars and Vans and AM Films -- were allegedly paid 2.45 lakh pounds for its "services" during the baton relay last year.

The ED had registered its first case under the Foreign Exchange Management Act in CWG after British authorities referred to the Indian High Commission a matter regarding A M Films, a little-known London-based company, to which a huge sum of money was allegedly transferred through the Royal Bank of Scotland.