Latest news with #CommonwealthGames2010
Time of India
18-06-2025
- Time of India
For Rajputana Rifles soldiers crossing dirty drain, Bailey bridge could be timegap answer
New Delhi: Delhi High Court on Wednesday asked authorities to furnish the final plan on the construction of a foot overbridge (FOB) for Rajputana Rifles soldiers who had to cross a putrid drain to reach the training and parade ground at Rajputana Rifles Regimental Centre, located in Delhi Cantt. A bench of justices Prathiba M Singh and Manmeet PS Arora was reviewing progress in a case it took suo motu cognizance on the basis of a news report that said soldiers had to face a "smelly trail" from their barracks to the ground. The court asked Public Works Department (PWD), traffic police and Delhi Cantonment Board to conduct a joint meeting to finalise the construction of the FOB, seeking a report on its design, budget and timeline. HC pointed out that despite having been approved earlier, the structure was yet to be constructed. Meanwhile, a joint survey by Delhi Traffic Police (DTP) and Central Road Research Institute (CRRI), whose findings were presented in HC, ruled out the installation of a pedestrian signal on Ring Road near the training yard, deeming it "unfeasible." Instead, it recommended constructing a Bailey bridge as a temporary solution till a permanent FOB can be constructed at the site. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch vàng CFDs với mức chênh lệch giá thấp nhất IC Markets Đăng ký Undo The survey was held following a May 30 hearing in HC, during which PWD proposed a traffic signal as an interim measure. "Based on the findings, the installation of a pedestrian signal at the location is not advisable. This stretch of Ring Road is a high-speed, signal-free corridor with a horizontal curve. Bringing foot traffic onto it would lead to congestion and pose grave safety risks. Further, as a temporary solution, a Bailey bridge is recommended in the report," said DCP Traffic (New Delhi) Rajeev Kumar. The report said at least 1,500 soldiers use the informal pathway on an average daily, with a peak flow of 400-500 at any instant during the morning, afternoon and evening hours. It pointed out that the proposed interim arrangement, in the form of a grade crossing facility with a pedestrian signal, would entail huge congestion on Ring Road in both directions of travel. The entire stretch is signal-free with flyovers, and the sudden introduction of an at-grade crossing facility, especially on the horizontal curve of the road, would have serious safety implications, it added. "Until a permanent FOB is constructed, a temporary arrangement in the form of a Bailey bridge crossing can be constructed as a stopgap safer arrangement by availing the services of the concerned unit of our Army… Such a facility was created by our Army within a week during the Commonwealth Games 2010 as a contingency measure," the report stated. Aditya Tanwar, president of Rashtrawadi Yuva Sangh Delhi, said, "We first raised the issue after observing this on our route. We then involved CRRI and tried to fix it, but nothing happened. Finally, the court hearings started in May. Hopefully, a resolution will be brought." According to CRRI scientist S Velumurgan, "It has been on CRRI's notice since Nov last year. Considering the prevailing conditions at the site and inadequate facilities for the soldiers, an FOB is fully justified. We have been advocating it for a long time now. The alternative, which is the at-grade pedestrian signal crossing, was ruled out due to unsafe environs for the soldiers as well as a possible pile-up of Ring Road traffic. " HC had last month also asked PWD if the culvert can be cleaned and some landscaping done there. "The soldiers are required to pass through this culvert four times a day. The drain is stated to be flooded and is slick with sludge and sometimes near waist-deep in places," it noted, terming it an "unacceptable situation". HC's intervention came while dealing with a batch of petitions where it is monitoring steps being taken to prevent a repeat of what the capital saw during monsoon last year — flooding of roads, homes and lawyers' offices due to clogged stormwater and sewage drains. The special bench has been issuing directions from time to time for cleaning of drains in Delhi and removal of encroachments that block smooth flow of stormwater to the Yamuna. HC has also pushed Delhi Jal Board to improve functioning of sewage treatment plants (STPs). It has ordered installation of flow meters at discharge points in all 37 STPs to prevent dirty water being released into the river.
Hindustan Times
03-06-2025
- Hindustan Times
13 years on, CBI traces fugitive in CWG case to French village
Derek Phillips, a former senior functionary of the Commonwealth Games 2010 organising committee, under investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and absconding for the past 13 years, has been tracked down in a small commune in the southwestern region of France, according to agency officials who said an extradition request is now being sent to the French government. The Global Operations Centre (GOC) of CBI recently located Phillips, a French national -- the deputy director general, accreditation/Games Management System (GMS), for the 2010 games in Delhi - in Gaillan en Medoc in France's Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, said one CBI officer who asked not to be named. The anti-corruption agency registered a case -- apart from 18 other first information reports (FIRs) filed around that time to probe CWG related irregularities -- on May 31, 2012 to investigate contract worth ₹68.40 lakh for supply of lanyards to be used for accreditation passes for the games. Phillips was named as an accused in this case, along with RK Sacheti (then joint director general, coordination and government relations), other officials of the organising committee and a private firm, Tristar Enterprises and its representative Vishal Ahuja. It was alleged that Phillips, in connivance with other officials, manipulated the tender process to ensure that the contract was awarded to Tristar at exorbitant rates. The irregularities were detailed by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) as well in its report saying that a supply order for 1.5 lakh lanyards was placed in July 2010 at a total cost of ₹0.68 crore, out of which 48,040 lanyards costing ₹0.22 crore were never used. Besides, the CAG report stated that 492 persons who had not received security clearance were incorrectly listed in the data for the Integrated Security System, which indicated that the accreditation system was not followed strictly. After investigating the irregularities, the officer cited above said, 'we filed a charge sheet against Phillips and others in August 2013 but he had left India long before that'. Calling him a fugitive, a second CBI officer said 'Phillips could not be traced all these years so a non-bailable warrant was issued against him in November 2020'. 'We have already prepared a detailed extradition request against him and it will be sent to the French authorities in the next few days. We already have an extradition treaty with France since 2003 and we are hoping for cooperation,' he added. Officials said they will request the French government to first arrest Phillips so that formal extradition proceedings can begin and he can soon be brought to India to face trial here. The CWG games took place between October 3 and 14, 2010 but allegations of corruption triggered a huge political uproar in the country, leading to filing of several criminal and money laundering cases against top officials of organising committee (OC) including its chairman, Suresh Kalmadi, a Congress leader. The alleged corruption in the organisation of the Games -- Delhi was ruled by a Congress government then -- became a talking point, along with the alleged corruption in the allotment of telecom spectrum and coal mining licences, in the 2014 national elections. Recently, in April, a Delhi court accepted the closure report filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in one of the cases against Kalmadi.
Mint
28-04-2025
- Mint
Delhi court formally closes ED investigation of 2010 Commonwealth Games money laundering case
A court in Delhi has formally closed the investigation of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) into the alleged money laundering linked to the Commonwealth Games 2010 (CWG). The court has accepted the closure report submitted by the federal agency, thereby putting down the curtains on the years-long enquiry. The court formally accepted the closure report of the ED concerning Suresh Kalmadi, the former Chairman of the Organizing Committee, and Lalit Bhanot, the then Secretary General, as well as others. The acceptance of the closure report brings to end the money laundering angle in the alleged scam, which reportedly took place 15 years ago during the 2010 commonwealth games. (This is a developing story. Check back for updates) First Published: 28 Apr 2025, 07:27 PM IST
