New Delhi, Jan 18 (PTI): The CBI has taken into custody six officers and private persons on Thursday in connection with a case of alleged corruption in the Sports Authority of India, officials said.

The arrests were made during searches at the sports administrator's office in Delhi's Lodhi Road area, they said.

The agency has arrested Director Sports Authority of India S K Sharma, Junior Accounts Officer Harinder Prasad, Supervisor Lalit Jolly and UDC V K Sharma, besides private contractor Mandeep Ahuja and his employee Yunus, the officials said. It is alleged that bills of Rs 19 lakh were pending to be cleared by the SAI officials for which a demand of three per cent was being made.

The Central Bureau of Investigation officials reached the SAI headquarters at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium around 5 pm and sealed the entire premises for search and questioning of the alleged staffers, sources in the SAI said.

The search operation is still underway.