CBI faces rap from special court over probe into National Games stadium

Special Judge Prabhat Kumar Sharma, in his order last month, said the CBI submitted the final closure report “without examining” relevant people. The court also noted that “it can’t be said” that the investigation was done in a “proper way”.

The CBI investigation was ordered by the Jharkhand High Court in April 2022 based on a cluster of public interest litigations. In December 2023, the CBI filed a closure report in the probe.

“During the course of investigation, no criminality could be detected on the part of any person or public servant,” the CBI closure report dated December 27 last year states.

The Ranchi CBI Court, in an order dated September 9 this year, however said, “It can’t be said that the investigation was done in a proper way as the evidence has not been collected by the IO (investigating officer) in a manner required as per the law for the fair investigation. Amazingly the IO of the case for reasons best known to him remained unaware towards the witnesses, who are acquainted with the facts, mentioned in the complaint on the record and ignored them.”

The court then said that statements of all persons who filed the PILs should be recorded and placed on record.

The court also said details should be collected and placed on record regarding monetary transactions, with the details of officers and persons who have taken part in the process of allotment of tender and signed on bills for payments and received benefits, if any.

In January 2008, a report by a Jharkhand Assembly committee, formed to look into the allegations, had said that the reason for the huge increase in the cost of the project “is the government’s apathy, negligence of government officials, and complete dependence on consultants and contractors for planning, designing and construction”. This report was also cited in the PILs filed in the High Court.

“An increase of 150 percent in the cost of the project… blatant violation of accepted rules, regulations, codes and traditions in the selection of suppliers of scheduled category materials, for which responsible persons should be identified and punitive and corrective action should be taken,” the report stated.

Among the allegations CBI investigated was the selection of a consultant company for concept, design, consultancy and supervision work. Despite another firm getting higher marks on the selection parameters, the tender selection committee rejected it on the ground that it did not submit relevant papers during the submission of the bid. The CBI, in its closure report, said, “As such, it is not possible to establish the abuse of official position against any public servants over this allegation.”