M A I N   N E W S

CBI fails to press charges, Mahendroo gets bail
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 15
A Delhi court today granted bail to former Commonwealth Games Organising Committee (OC) Deputy Director General Sanjay Mahendroo, arrested in a forgery and cheating case relating to Queen's Baton Relay in London in 2009.

Taking into account that the CBI had failed to file a chargesheet within the period of 60 days, special CBI Judge OP Saini granted bail to Mahendroo on a personal bond of Rs 50,000 and two surety bonds of the same amount.

The CBI’s failure to file the chargesheet on time has raised question marks over its probe.

A CBI official, however, defended the agency by saying that the delay was not unnatural. “It’s a case of fraud. It also involves transaction in a foreign country. The evidence would include lots of documentary proof and that takes time,” he said.

The judgment came after the court took note of the Delhi High Court's order, which had yesterday granted bail to co-accused TS Darbari in the same case after the CBI had failed to file a chargesheet within the stipulated period.

In pursuance of the Delhi High Court order, the accused has been given bail as the CBI could not file the chargesheet within 60 days, the court said.

It was mandatory for the agency to file the chargesheet within 60-day period after the registration of the FIR.

Mahendroo had been in jail since November 15 last year after he was arrested along with OC Joint Director General TS Darbari. The first case was registered by the CBI under different sections of the IPC and the Prevention of Corruption Act in relation to the award of contract to AM Car and Van Hire Limited. The CBI has charged Darbari, Mahendroo and others under Sections 468 (forgery of court records and public documents), 471 (using forged documents as genuine), 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC and the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The second case involves London-based AM Films and the probe agency had named Mahendroo, Darbari and others under Sections 420 (cheating), 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC and the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The accused are already facing charges of violation of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) and have been questioned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The ED had registered its first case under FEMA in the Commonwealth Games after the British authorities referred to the Indian High Commission a matter regarding AM Films, a little-known company, to which a huge sum of money was transferred through the Royal Bank of Scotland.