Remanded in CBI custody for three more days,during which he is likely to be brought face to face with former colleague M Jayachandran,sacked Commonwealth Games official T S Darbari on Monday accused the CBI of picking on him but not daring to go after high-profile people involved in a Rs 200-crore scam. Darbari made these remarks while being led away from court. Jayachandran,Sanjay Mohindroo and he once close aides of Games Organising Committee chairman Suresh Kalmadi have been arrested in connection with the alleged bungling during the Queens Baton Relay (QBR) in London last year. Why did you only arrest me in a scam that you allege is worth only Rs 1.5 crore? Why did you not arrest the high-profile people who are involved in the scam that is worth Rs 200 crore? It is clear that you cannot dare to touch them, Darbari told a CBI official as he was being led away from the court room after the hearing. Darbaris wife and sister,who were seen consoling him after he complained of ill-health,also had a word or two for the CBI: People have gobbled up Rs 200 crore but you will not arrest them. They were heard telling Darbari: You tell the CBI everything. Dont hide anything from them,divulge all. During the hearing,Darbari,assisted by his lawyer R N Mittal,claimed the CBI had nothing to elicit from him,that it had not bothered to ask even a single question in three days. I am willing to give an affidavit on oath that they did not talk to me for three consecutive days. I can pledge under law and the court could peruse the case diary to ascertain the veracity, Darbari told Special Judge A S Yadav. The CBI had sought seven days custody to question Darbari,Mohindroo and Jayachandran. Investigating Officer M R Kadole submitted before the judge that the extension of remand was necessary because Darbari did not come out with the truth during his remand. The CBI said it needed more days to interrogate the accused and to confront them with Jayachandran and documents. The investigators,Kadole said,had recently come across e-mails sent by Darbari to the Indian High Commission relating to the QBR and in the wake of the charges of mails being forged,their custodial interrogation was essential. Darbari,who wanted to counter the CBIs claim himself,trashed the charge about the e-mails and said those mails were sent to the High Commission to get the Relay advanced because of the Presidents visit. Darbaris counsel Mittal also rubbished the CBIs argument that the accused was a well-connected high-profile person who could tamper with the evidence. They call me well-connected,but the truth is they have not been able to even touch those who are really well-connected and influential, Mittal said.
