New Delhi: The Narendra Modi government has refused sanction to CBI to prosecute high-profile IAS officer Parimal Rai, who was the Chairman of the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) during the 2010 Commonwealth Games (CWG) in Delhi.



The Agency sought government nod to prosecute Rai around two years ago.

This is among the first cases under the Modi government where sanction has been declined in a case pertaining to a scam during the term of its predecessor UPA.

Rai, an officer of Additional secretary rank, was NDMC Chairman from April 11, 2007, to August 26, 2011. He was also considered close to the former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit.

Rai, a 1985 batch IAS officer from AGMUT cadre, is now secretary, Health and Family Welfare, in the government of Goa. Rai was recently in news for being nominated by Arvind Kejriwal to act as the chief secretary during the absence of K K Sharma, an offer that Rai declined.

Rai was booked in connection with Commonwealth Games scam, an alleged irregularities in the construction of a convention centre, which resulted in a loss of Rs 15 crore.

The CBI had first written to the Home Ministry and then to the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) for nod in order to enable it to file a charge sheet against Rai.

The DoPT already declined sanction for want of “sufficient evidence”.

Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) officials, also said that the case against Rai seemed to be political motivated and CBI has not been able to firm up evidence.

Inputs with ET