Darbari claims innocence in QBR financial irregularities

New Delhi, Aug 7 (PTI) In a fresh development to the
corruption row into the Commonwealth Games preparations,
suspended Organising Committee (OC) Joint Director General T S
Darbari claims he is not involved in the Queen's Baton Relay
financial irregularities case and has become a victim of media
campaign.
Darbari, a close aide of OC chairman Suresh Kalmadi, was
suspended after irregularities were revealed in payouts to a
UK-based firm which provided services such as car rentals
during the QBR's launch in London.
The OC said that Darbari responsible for the delivery and
conduct of the QBR's launch and suspended him pending an
inquiry by a three-memnber panel headed by OC CEO Jarnail
Singh.
In his defence, Darbari had written to Jarnail Singh
explaining his role and denying any wrongdoing, according to
OC sources.
Darbari, it is learnt, has called himself a victim of a
campaign by the media and denied being part of any financial
bunglings.
Darbari has claimed that he played no part in the hiring
of the London-based Firm -- AM Films -- which is at the centre
of the corruption row.
He has also claimed that all the hiring of services
during QBR's London launch was handled by a specifically
constituted committee comprising three joint director generals
-- M Jeychandren for finance and accounts, Sanjay Mohindroo
for marketing and Sudhir Verma for communications.
Of these, Mohindroo has quit OC, while Jeychandren
was suspended along with Darbari.
Repeated attempts to contact Darbari on phone went
unanswered and he did not respond to SMS also.
When contacted CEO Jarnail Singh said "I have no comments
to make".
The three-member panel headed by Jarnail also includes
Gurjyot Kaur, chief vigilance officer, and G C Chaturvedi,
special director general (finance and accounts). PTI