Ranchi, Aug. 2: The state vigilance bureau that is investigating irregular awards of contracts for the 34th National Games will adopt a methodology similar to that being followed by the CBI probing the XIX Commonwealth Games scam.

While the Commonwealth Games was held in New Delhi from October 3 to 14, 2010, the National Games were held at Ranchi, Jamshedpur and Dhanbad between February 14 and 26 this year.

“The nature of complaints vis-a-vis the National Games held in Jharkhand and the Commonwealth Games held in Delhi last year are similar. I have spent two days at the CBI office in Delhi to gather details of the methodology being adopted by it while conducting the Commonwealth Games probe. A similar methodology will also be adopted by us for the National Games probe,” IG vigilance M.V. Rao told The Telegraph.

“We have completed interrogation of office-bearers of the National Games Organising Committee (NGOC). A number of suppliers of sports equipment have also been interrogated. Only a handful of suppliers have failed to turn up for questioning. We will be taking legal recourse to compel these people to turn up for interrogation,” he added.

The scale of the two scams is so large that it is taking investigating agencies a lot of time to get a holistic picture. Lots of documents are required to be studied. Statements recorded in the course of interrogations also need to be verified.

Investigators are also required to come up with concrete evidence before any person can be nailed.

“However, even with limited resources and considering the (high) number of cases that are being handled by the vigilance bureau simultaneously, we intend to complete investigations into the National Games affair within a definite time- frame,” the IG vigilance stressed.

The state vigilance bureau had on October 6 last year lodged FIRs against NGOC working chairman R.K. Anand, organising secretary S.M. Hashmi, treasurer Madhukant Pathak and P.C. Mishra, the then director of sports, and others for corruption, misuse of their official positions and embezzlement of public funds while purchasing equipment and during construction of infrastructure for the National Games held between February 12 to 26.

All accused have been charged under sections 120(B), 109, 420, 406, 409, 467, 468, 471 of IPC and under sections 13(2) and 13(1)(d) of Prevention of Corruption Act.

There are, however, marked similarities in the discrepancies being probed by the CBI into the Commonwealth Games scam and the complaints being investigated by the vigilance bureau in case of the National Games.

In case of the Commonwealth Games, the CBI is probing into complaints of cheating, conspiracy and corruption in connection with awarding contracts, specifically favouring a Switzerland-based private firm while awarding the contract for timing, scoring and result system at an inflated cost.

In case of the National Games, the vigilance bureau is probing allegations of flouting financial rules in purchase of sports equipment without floating tenders, purchase of equipment in excess of requirements and at prices higher than market rates, purchase of electronic scoreboards from a single supplier at varying rates and granting of mobilisation advances to parties without obtaining bank guarantees.