CWG scam: HC issues notice to CBI on Kalmadi bail plea

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday sought the CBI's response on the bail plea of sacked CWG Organising Committee chief Suresh Kalmadi in a Games-related scam case, who cited the Supreme Court ruling that bail should be the rule and jail an exception.

Justice Mukta Gupta issued notice to the probe agency and sought its reply on Kalmadi's bail plea by January 6.

Kalmadi's counsel sought bail, claiming that his custody is no more required in the case as the CBI on November 3 has informed the trial court that investigation is complete.

Senior counsel Sushil Kumar, appearing for Kalmadi, said his client is in custody since April 25 and chargesheet has also been filed. He said the trial would take time as a foreign firm, Swiss Timing Omega, is also an accused in the case and it has not yet appeared before the court.

The counsel sought that the court hear the bail plea in December, saying it need not go into the merits of the case basing on the Supreme Court ruling that bail is the rule and jail is an exception.

Justice Gupta, however, said "merits of each case have to be looked into" and fixed January 6 as the next date of hearing.

The 67-year-old MP was arrested on April 25 for his alleged role in awarding the contract for installing the Timing-Scoring-Result (TSR) system to Swiss Times Omega at an exorbitant cost of Rs 141 crore, allegedly causing a loss of over Rs 95 crore to the public exchequer.

CBI had filed its first chargesheet against Kalmadi and 10 others on May 20, describing him as main accused in the corruption case, involving the award of TSR system contract to the Swiss firm.

The trial court had on June 6 dismissed Kalmadi's bail plea on the ground that gravity of offence is of very serious nature as it had caused loss to state exchequer and unlawful gain to a private vendor to the tune of over Rs 95 crores.

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