CWG Organising Committee fighting 14 legal cases

New Delhi: Already under scanner for irregularities worth crores of rupees, the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee is fighting 14 legal cases filed by several firms and its former employees seeking their dues.

According to OC officials, these cases related to the finance department, workforce, catering, merchandising unit, cleaning and waste management units, technology department and other works connected with organising of the Games.

While some have gone to courts to seek pending payments, other cases include a defamation suit seeking Rs 5 crore in damages.

"There have been legal notices from private firms and former employees and they are in different stages of proceedings. In all there are some 14 cases," OC CEO Jarnail Singh said.

The Games organising body has roped in renowned law firms including Dua Associates, Suri and Co and Luthra and Luthra to fight the legal battles in the Delhi High Court and district courts.

Ex-treasurer M Jayachandran, who is lodged in Tihar jail, has slapped a Rs 5 crore defamation suit in the Delhi High Court against the OC for allegedly tarnishing his image, the official said.

Jayachandran is an accused in the Timing-Scoring- Result (TSR) scam that has led to a loss of over Rs 95 crore to the exchequer. The CBI has accused him of manipulating the minutes of OC's Finance Committee to justify the alleged forgery in the award of TSR contract.

Similarly, OC's former chief of technology department Rajesh Kumar has moved the high court for alleged harassment by the management among other charges. Two companies - Unique Infoways and Bite and Byte - have also gone to the high court

seeking dues.

"There are companies who have gone to court seeking pending payments. All of them were denied payments by OC as they did not work properly," Singh said.

Officials are scrutinising documents related to contracts executed by the OC and plan to strengthen their legal team to effectively deal with such cases.

"We are empowering our legal department. There is a need for strengthening it. We will fight all legal cases, "Singh said.

Sacked OC chief Suresh Kalmadi and Secretary General Lalit Bhanot among other office bearers are in Tihar jail for their alleged involvement in CWG scams.